Construction work on Spur Tunnel to switch lanes 

GATLINBURG, Tenn.—Much of the maintenance on one side of the Spur Tunnel is complete, allowing contractors to begin work on the other side. Depending on weather conditions and arrival of supplies, the single-lane closure will switch to the opposite lane sometime between March 1 and March 3.  

The day of the lane change, crews need to realign a portion of the concrete barrier wall, realign the crash cushion, remove and re-establish the temporary traffic lane markings, relocate and revise traffic signs, and complete other work. The single-lane closure will continue to be in place 24 hours a day, seven days a week during the construction period.  

National Park Service and Federal Highway Administration officials remind motorists to stay alert, be courteous of other drivers, and to reduce speed while traveling through the work zone. For the safety of workers, motorists should also refrain from honking when traveling through the construction zone. 

Crews began work in January to replace drains and lights, clean and seal the tunnel interior, put in a new lighting control system, and install a propane-powered generator for emergency backup. The Federal Highway Administration awarded a $10,284,135 construction contract to Bryant’s Land Development of Burnsville, NC for the repairs, which should fully conclude by June 5, 2023.  

For more information about temporary road closures, please visit the park’s Current Road, Facility, Trail & Backcountry Updates webpage.  

About Brad Jones

Brad is the Owner/Operator of BBB TV 12, and has been with the company since August of 1996. Brad is a 1987 graduate of Coalfield High School and a 1995 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Communications. He won the 1995 broadcast production student of the year award. Brad worked at Shop at Home, Inc. a home shopping network that was located in Knoxville, TN from 1993 - 1995 and then at Via TV (RSTV, Inc.) from 1995 - 1996. After some freelance work in Nashville, Brad joined the BBB Communications staff in August of 1996. A short stint at WVLT TV as a news photographer was in 2001, but he continued to work at BBB TV as well. Brad is married to Nicole Jenkins Jones, a 1990 graduate of Oak Ridge High School, who works at Oak Ridge Gastroenterology and Associates in Oak Ridge. They have 3 kids, Trevor Bogard, 27, Chandler 22, and Naomi 13. On December 12, 2013 they welcomed their first grandchild, Carter Ryan Bogard. Brad is also the assistant boys basketball coach at Coalfield High School for the past 11 years. In 2013-14 the Yellow Jackets won their first district title since 1991 and just the 4th in school history.

Check Also

I-40 Accident on Wednesday Snarls Traffic

During heavy rain rolling through the county on Wednesday afternoon, a multi-car accident occurred at …

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

%d bloggers like this: