Portion of Tennessee interstate will remain closed for 3 months after excavator hits bridge

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — A portion of Interstate 840 in Williamson County will likely remain closed for months after an excavator struck bridge supports under the roadway Tuesday.

The incident happened on Tuesday, April 16, around 11 a.m. near the Columbia Avenue exit of I-840 East at mile-marker 28.

According to the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, an excavator was working on train tracks below the interstate when it hit the bridge’s support beams at the Sedberry overpass.

On Tuesday, the eastbound lanes of the interstate were closed and traffic was diverted to Exit 23/Carters Creek Pike/TN HWY 46.

According to the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the repairs to the bridge will likely take three months. After TDOT crews examined the bridge, they determined the untouched portion of the bridge was still safe to cross, but the right lane of the road would remain closed until the necessary repairs can be made.

During the early morning hours on Wednesday, April 17, TDOT installed a lane restriction, allowing for the left lane & left shoulder to be open for traffic flow. One lane of travel is expected to remain open throughout the closure, according to TDOT. Some short-term, temporary full closures on the bridge may be required during the work, they added. Bell Construction and CSX will work with TDOT for the months-long repair project.

“TDOT is doing all it can to make the necessary repairs as safety and as quickly as possible while limiting the impact on traffic,” the department said in a statement.

Updates can be found online through the TDOT SmartWay map .

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