Washington County, TDOT reopen bridge on Bailey Bridge Road

Birds danced in the wind over the Nolichucky River, weaving through the Floyd W. Jason Lamb Jr. bridge on Bailey Bridge Road. Community members, elected officials and the Tennessee Department of Transportation came together on Wednesday for a ribbon cutting of the reconstructed bridge on Bailey Bridge Road and a rededication of the bridge to Lamb. The bridge has been closed since September 2024 after significant damage was made in result of Hurricane Helene. Washington County and TDOT have been working together for nearly 18 months to reconstruct the bridge for the surrounding community members. "Today, not only are we just reopening this bridge," Commissioner of Transportation Will Reid said. "We are reopening the 49 and last closed road on the state network." The previous bridge, built in 1958, stretched across 354-feet of water. The new bridge is 480-feet long, 35-feet and includes two lanes and a six-foot space on both shoulders. "In addition, more than 900 feet of State Route 353 was reconstructed due to the devastation of the banks along the existing roadway," Reid said. "This is a safer, more efficient bridge that we believe is going to serve this community for decades to come." With the enactment of the Transportation Modernization Act in 2023, TDOT was able to pay for the bridge with "cash on hand" to avoid delaying the project, Reid said. He added $17 million in funds were spent to reconstruct the bridge. State Reps. Rebecca Alexander, R-Jonesborough, Tim Hicks, R-Gray, state Sen. Rusty Crowe, R-Johnson City and Washington County Mayor Joe Grandy were all in attendance. Each spoke to the audience thanking TDOT, elected officials, Summers-Taylor Construction, Washington County Highway Department and anyone involved in the bridge reconstruction. "It's a day we can celebrate," Alexander said. "It's a chance to look at tomorrow and the future of our region thanks to this bridge." The bridge was originally dedicated to Lamb in 2015 and was rededicated to him on Wednesday. Born in 1949, Lamb was a native to Greene County. He lost his life in the Vietnam War while participating in a search and clear operation in the Nui Yon Thon Mountains in 1970. Members of his family received the dedication, including his older sister Judy Lamb Freeman. "He was a very good person," she said. "Everybody liked Jason and it's good to see … that somebody like that is recognized in the community for what they've done." Grandy and Reid both said TDOT and the county has more to go with dozens of projects throughout the county and region. "We're not finished," Reid said. "We won't leave until this job is done."