In case you’ve missed it, the Gay Street Bridge has been closed for the last month. Although it must pass routine inspections, the 126-year-old bridge was suddenly pronounced unsafe after TDOT said it found a “distortion of a steel truss.” TDOT announced the bridge would be closed until further notice while a more detailed inspection ensued.
I’ll be honest: I had a problem with the idea that one day the bridge could handle a semi-trailer truck and the next day, I might be sent spiraling into the river should I so much as walk across the expanse. The bridge may have as many walkers, joggers, and cyclists each day as it does vehicular traffic. It seems surely it would continue to handle walkers and cyclists for another hundred years. But it was closed to everyone.
This week word came that the Tennessee Department of Transportation had completed its “thorough inspection,” and arrived at the conclusion there should be more studies to follow the inspection. Mayor Kincannon expressed disappointment, but said the city was working as quickly as possible to determine the remedy and the accompanying cost. She mentioned that if it was safe to open to pedestrians in the meantime, they would try to do so.
The press release stated, “TDOT engineers have stressed that with this type of truss bridge, there is no redundancy in the structure to pick up the load if an element were to fail. As a result, the City is working closely with TDOT and hiring an engineering consultant to develop a plan to make necessary repairs.” You can read their entire report here: https://www.KnoxvilleTN.gov/
Here’s hoping the repairs can be completed quickly and at a low cost. Here’s hoping that even sooner it can be opened to pedestrians and cyclists. Who knows, maybe it should simply become a pedestrian bridge and that other one might not be necessary.
And here’s one I missed: A new restaurant has opened in Embassy Suites at 507 South Gay Street, taking up the space where C.J.’s Tacos once operated. Brickstones Kitchen and Bar opened in April while I was out doing other things, I suppose, and it was only after Urban Woman noticed the sign in the photo above that I drifted inside to see what’s happening.
It turns out the restaurant is operated by the hotel as opposed to separate ownership like C.J.’s or like Kopita facing Gay Street. But it is open to the public and they’d like you to come in and try it out. The mezzanine level in the hotel serves breakfast to guests in the morning, but Brickstones opens at 5:00 pm and serves guests and the public alike until 11:00 pm each night. That’s a bonus, as many downtown restaurants are closed some days and stop serving at an earlier hour on other days.
And there are food items you might not readily find in a lot of other places in the downtown area. Sure, they have burgers, pizza, and salads, but they also have things like Street Corn Elote Fritters (Fire-Roasted Corn, Queso Fresco, Lime and Chipotle Aioli), Stir Fry Beef Bulgogi Bowl (Coconut Jasmine Rice topped with Stir Fried Marinated Beef, Shitake Mushrooms, Peppers, Broccoli, Edamame and a Miso Soy Broth), and Warm Cinnamon Churros A La Mode (Dulce De Leche Ice Cream on Warm Cinnamon Churros with Mexican Spiced Chocolate Drizzle). That last one sounds perfect for an end-of-the-evening dessert after a night out on the town.
It’s another dining option for downtown and you can enjoy the view of the beautiful Embassy Suites lobby (which is one of my favorite secret spots to hang out).