Clarksville, TN – The City of Clarksville temporarily closed the Raymond C. Hand Pass pedestrian bridge on the Clarksville Greenway earlier this month after heavy rains had caused sloughing of the slopes leading to both ends of the bridge.
An expected reopening date has not been identified, said Daniel Binkley, City of Clarksville Project Manager. He said Baron+Dowdle, the contractor for the Greenway Pedestrian Bridge, has retained engineers to develop a plan for repairing the failing slopes that were constructed last fall.
The structural integrity of the bridge itself has never been in question, but settlement has occurred at the approaches to the bridge, Binkley said.
While multiple options are being studied to alleviate the settlement problems, remediation work cannot begin until favorable weather permits. Because of the steep angle of the slopes, remediation is dependent on conditions being dry enough to perform the work, Binkley said. Based on typical spring weather patterns, it may be several more weeks before the work can be fully completed and repairs made to the asphalt.
The city’s project team has been in close contact with Baron+Dowdle and is confident that repairs will be made as soon as weather conditions allow.
Despite the closure, the remainder of the Greenway continues to be open to the public. A second trailhead, located at the end of Mary’s Oak Road off of Peacher’s Mill Road, has recently been constructed providing additional parking. More expansion is the planning stages to continue the trail through Heritage Park.
For complete details about the Clarksville Greenway, please visit us online at www.cityofclarksville.com/parks&rec/ or call 931-645-7476.
