Bridge offers wider road to town

Thursday, June 22, 2006

By KEITH CLINES

Times Staff Writer kclines@htimes.com

3-lane takes place of 1931 span set for demolition

For 75 years, motorists heading into Huntsville on U.S. 231 have had to navigate the narrow lanes and steel cocoon of the Clement Comer Clay Bridge.

That ended early Wednesday afternoon when northbound traffic on U.S. 231 was moved to the new three-lane bridge over the Tennessee River.

The next step, which could come in a matter of days, is demolition of the C.C. Clay Bridge. The last step, which could be years away, is to build another new three-lane bridge to replace the bridge built in 1965.

The $21.5 million bridge opened after four years of construction and a switch in contractors.

The Alabama Department of Transportation in early 2002 awarded Clark Construction Co. of Headland a $21.54 million contract to build the new bridge. But Clark ran into financial problems and in October 2003 quit 21 state projects, including the bridge, because of pending bankruptcy.

Clark's bonding company in early 2004 chose Scott Bridge Co. of Opelika to finish the job, which was about 22 percent complete.

The change in contractors set the project back a few months, but did not cost the state more money. The bonding company paid Scott for the work.

The DOT plans in 2007 to start construction on the next new bridge where the C.C. Clay Bridge now stands. That bridge will eventually be the northbound bridge and the bridge that opened Wednesday will be the southbound bridge.

The contract for the bridge that opened Wednesday includes demolishing the C.C. Clay Bridge. Scott could begin tearing out the concrete deck of the bridge today and remove the steel trusses in the next few days, said Johnny Harris, Division 1 engineer for the DOT.

Scott is expected to set explosive charges to bring down the steel trusses. Scott demolished the George S. Houston Bridge in Guntersville with explosives in 1992.

Scott's supervisor for the project could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.

The C.C. Clay Bridge was built in 1931 and named for the state's eighth governor. Clement Comer Clay was governor from 1835 to 1837 and a U.S. senator from 1837 to 1841.

The bridge replaced a ferry that operated between Huntsville and the northern banks of Morgan County. Its two lanes served traffic in both directions until another bridge was built to the west in 1965.

The C.C. Clay Bridge was among 15 memorial toll bridges built by the Alabama Bridge Co. between 1929 and 1931. It and the nearby B.B. Comer Bridge in Scottsboro are the only remaining memorial bridges. The Comer Bridge is also scheduled to be replaced.

The DOT offered the Clay Bridge to agencies and groups that could meet preservation requirements, but couldn't find any qualified takers.



Bridge offers wider road to town Thursday, June 22, 2006 By KEITH CLINES Times Staff Writer kclines@htimes.com 3-lane takes place of 1931 span set for demolition For 75 years, motorists heading into Huntsville on U.S. 231 have had to navigate the narrow lanes and steel cocoon of the Clement Comer Clay Bridge. That ended early Wednesday afternoon when northbound traffic on U.S. 231 was moved to the new three-lane bridge over the Tennessee River. The next step, which could come in a matter of days, is demolition of the C.C. Clay Bridge. The last step, which could be years away, is to build another new three-lane bridge to replace the bridge built in 1965. The $21.5 million bridge opened after four years of construction and a switch in contractors. The Alabama Department of Transportation in early 2002 awarded Clark Construction Co. of Headland a $21.54 million contract to build the new bridge. But Clark ran into financial problems and in October 2003 quit 21 state projects, including the bridge, because of pending bankruptcy. Clark's bonding company in early 2004 chose Scott Bridge Co. of Opelika to finish the job, which was about 22 percent complete. The change in contractors set the project back a few months, but did not cost the state more money. The bonding company paid Scott for the work. The DOT plans in 2007 to start construction on the next new bridge where the C.C. Clay Bridge now stands. That bridge will eventually be the northbound bridge and the bridge that opened Wednesday will be the southbound bridge. The contract for the bridge that opened Wednesday includes demolishing the C.C. Clay Bridge. Scott could begin tearing out the concrete deck of the bridge today and remove the steel trusses in the next few days, said Johnny Harris, Division 1 engineer for the DOT. Scott is expected to set explosive charges to bring down the steel trusses. Scott demolished the George S. Houston Bridge in Guntersville with explosives in 1992. Scott's supervisor for the project could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon. The C.C. Clay Bridge was built in 1931 and named for the state's eighth governor. Clement Comer Clay was governor from 1835 to 1837 and a U.S. senator from 1837 to 1841. The bridge replaced a ferry that operated between Huntsville and the northern banks of Morgan County. Its two lanes served traffic in both directions until another bridge was built to the west in 1965. The C.C. Clay Bridge was among 15 memorial toll bridges built by the Alabama Bridge Co. between 1929 and 1931. It and the nearby B.B. Comer Bridge in Scottsboro are the only remaining memorial bridges. The Comer Bridge is also scheduled to be replaced. The DOT offered the Clay Bridge to agencies and groups that could meet preservation requirements, but couldn't find any qualified takers. © 2006 The Huntsville Times © 2006 al.com All Rights Reserved.