Henley Street Bridge Update . . . and more

Henley Street Bridge Construction, March 2012

It's been a while since I posted pictures of the Henley Street Bridge construction project. It's interesting to consider the different ways the project has impacted various people. Business owners on the south side of the river have expressed unhappiness citing diminished business. Commuters have been forced to alter patterns. Traffic has increased on Gay Street. For downtown residents who walk across Henley Street regularly, it has been quite nice. Not that my convenience outweighs the negative impact on others, but it has been nice to have a quieter, friendlier Henley Street for a while.

Henley Street Bridge from the north side, Knoxville, March 2012

Henley Street Bridge from the north side, Knoxville, March 2012

Of course, if you want the latest up-to-the-minute details, including discussions of "abutments" and "spandrel caps," you can go to the official update site here. My intention here is simply to provide some occasional photographs for people who are interested but are unable to walk to the bridge and take a look for themselves.

Command Central, Henley Street Bridge Project, Knoxville, March 2012

At this time the roadway and walkway below the north end of the bridge are closed while work goes on directly overhead. As you can see from the above photograph, there is quite the command central on this side of the river. It's a massive undertaking, but it seems to be back on track after some early tragedy. I hope the workplace is as safe as it can be.

Mary Boyce Temple House, Hill Avenue, Knoxville

While in the area I took a couple of other photographs. It's been a while since I posted about the Mary Boyce Temple house at 623 W. Hill Avenue and there are changes on the outside, and though I wasn't able to walk inside, work appears to be ongoing there, as well. This is, of course, the project of love for Brian Pittman, local architect and cathedral artist. Money from the purchase of his art goes to the renovation and reconstruction project that he has undertaken  - a very worthy and massively expensive cause. You can learn more about the house and the reconstruction efforts here.

The Former Lord Lindsey, Hill Avenue, Knoxville, March 2012

Finally, I couldn't help but look next door at the old building which, in a different era for downtown Knoxville, hosted the Lord Lindsey nightclub. It is offered for sale and it seems that maybe enough has changed in the city in recent years that its time could be coming. Externally it appears to be in pretty good shape and simply in need of someone with a vision to step in and make something special.

Update: The safety record of Britton Construction got worse this week with the death of an additional person at one of their projects. I didn't learn this until after I published this post. I'm not a judge or a jury, but I can't help but wonder if this company is as concientious as they should be. As noted previously, many people believe they are not and that they are not being held accountable by the state of Tennessee. It is dangerous work and some accidents are inevitable, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to believe everything is being done that should be done.