Walnut Street Bridge Renovation Costs Rise

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – A new change order could raise the cost of restoring Chattanooga’s Walnut Street Bridge by more than $630,000. 

If approved, that would bring the total renovation price tag to roughly $35.3 million. 

The increase comes after contractors discovered more deterioration than expected in the bridge’s support strands—damage that wasn’t visible until crews began work earlier this year.

To address the issue, the contractor plans to install epoxy-coated, fiber-optic-enhanced cables, which are designed to strengthen the structure and allow for long-term monitoring. 

Brian Smith, Director of Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors, told News 12 that they “We sort of originally went in thinking that they would have to replace about 40% of the tension wires that literally help hold up the bridge and after further investigation, the contractors the engineers suggested that it might take a little bit more than that. And so, an opportunity arose that we were able to replace the entire tension system.”

The historic pedestrian bridge closed in March for what’s expected to be an 18-month project.