More than 700 ships, barges stalled in Mississippi River near Memphis: Coast Guard
More than 700 ships are delayed on the Mississippi River near Memphis, Tennessee, because a bridge across the river has been shut after a structural problem was discovered, the US Coast Guard reported May 13.
Recent counts show the closure has bottlenecked some 44 large ships and 709 barges both northbound and southbound, up from 16 large ships and 229 barges reported on May 12, between mile marker 736 and 737, according to the Coast Guard.
The Hernando de Soto Bridge on Interstate Highway 40 between Memphis, Tennessee, and West Memphis, Arkansas, remained closed to all road and river traffic “indefinitely” after a routine inspection on May 11 revealed a major crack in a steel truss,” according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation. All traffic was suspended on the six-lane bridge the same afternoon, the DOT said in a statement.
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The U.S. Coast Guard lifted the waterway restriction on the Mississippi River near I-40 bridge in Memphis, Tennessee after it was deemed safe for vessels to transit beneath the bridge.
The Mississippi River is now open to all vessel traffic with no restrictions. As of Friday, there were 62 vessels and 1,058 barges in queue prior.
A crack was discovered in a crucial structural support beam of the I-40 Hernando DeSoto Bridge on Wednesday during a routine inspection of the bridge by the Arkansas Department of Transportation, which immediately shut the bridge down to road traffic.
A Coast Guard Captain of the Port waterway restriction subsequently closed the river to all vessel traffic between mile marker 736 and mile marker 737. Initially 16 vessels with a total of 229 barges had been held up, but that number swelled to more than 60 vessels and over 1,000 barges on Friday before the river was reopened. The bridge remains closed to road traffic.
May 14, 2021 By Shelley Byrne
The Coast Guard has reopened the Lower Mississippi River in the vicinity of the fractured Hernando de Soto Bridge in Memphis, Tenn., allowing a queue of vessels and barges to move beneath the bridge.
As of the morning of Friday, May 14, there were 62 vessels and 1,058 barges in queue. The Coast Guard lifted all restrictions to vessel traffic.
“Based on information provided to us by the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the Coast Guard has determined that transit under the I-40 bridge is safe for maritime traffic,” said Coast Guard Capt. Ryan Rhodes, Captain of the Port of Memphis. “We appreciate the cooperative efforts of both the Tennessee and Arkansas Departments of Transportation, as well as maritime port partners, to ensure the safety of our waterway.”