JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. (July 15, 2026) — Washington County officials announced today that the newly reconstructed Telford Road Bridge, which crosses Brown Branch, will reopen to traffic as of Wednesday, July 15.

The reopening marks the completion of a highly expedited, priority infrastructure project for the county. The bridge, located off Highway 34 leading to Highway 11E, was initially closed to all traffic in April 2025 following a Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) inspection that cited safety concerns.

“We know this closure has been a significant inconvenience for the Telford community,” said Washington County Mayor Joe Grandy. “This bridge is a vital route for the residents in the surrounding area, serving as a daily connection to work, school and their neighbors. Restoring this critical access point as quickly and safely as possible has been our top priority since day one, and we are thrilled to see the project completed.”

To minimize the impact on residents, Washington County and TDOT collaborated to fast-track the bridge’s design and engineering phases. Local firm Thompson & Litton was contracted to manage the engineering services, successfully compressing a typical 12-to-15-month design and approval process into less than six months.

Once the design was approved and final right-of-way plans were secured late last year, the construction contract was awarded to King General Contractors.

“While a standard contract for a project of this scope allows for a 180-day completion window, Mayor Grandy and I challenged King General Contractors to fast-track the work and aim for 100 days or less,” said Washington County Highway Superintendent Doug Jones. “They accepted that challenge and delivered. Thanks to the exceptional collaboration between our highway department, TDOT, our design team and our contractors, we are opening a safer, stronger bridge in record time.”