Ben Byard,
MUSCLE SHOALS-On Thursday, December 17 the long awaited opening of Wilson Dam Road happened. Wilson Dam was closed to all traffic beginning in January of 2020 and just shy of a year reopened to all traffic.
Ben Byard, Bridge Program Manager said the project and maintenance work included replacement of the concrete bridge decking to stop water infiltration and reduce deterioration of the arches, fixing the damaged sidewalks for increased pedestrian safety. Work also included repair to the water damaged parapet walls and repairing the original parapet lighting that has not worked in at least 30 years. This repair is import to the safety as well as historical importance as Wilson Dam is designated as a National Historic Landmark.
The roadway, originally made of brick that was laid upon a 2” bed of concrete in the 1920’s underwent a major resurfacing in the 
1950’s when the new lock and an additional steel superstructure viaduct was constructed over the lock were constructed. The original roadway was rebuilt by removing the brick and replacing it with a non-reinforced concrete surface. This road is not actually part of Wilson Dam. It sits above the structure of the dam, so when the work was undertaken to remove and rework the roadway, it had no impact on the structure of the dam at all. The original concrete underlayment was poured on top of the multi-arch structural elements above the spillways. Problem is, over the decades the underlayment has deteriorated and has actually de-bonded from the arch structure of the dam itself. All of this has been addressed and the roadway is now open for public traffic.
TVA invested about $4 million in the restoration work. The team completed the project on schedule and under budget.
Wilson Dam is designated as a National Historic Landmark
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