River traffic has reopened on the Mississippi River near Memphis, Tennessee, three days after it was closed when a crack was discovered in the Interstate 40 bridge that connects Tennessee and Arkansas, the U.S. Coast Guard said Friday.
Interim repair could speed up reopening of Memphis bridge, TDOT says
Tennessee DOT
A design team is looking at an interim repair for the crack on the Interstate 40 bridge in Memphis until a new part can be made to replace the bridge’s damaged section, the Tennessee Department of Transportation said Friday.
The team is working on a design concept that could use steel rods that would “span over the fractured section, and provide the needed strength to reopen the bridge to vehicular traffic,” TDOT said in a release.
An initial analysis of the bridge found it to be “stable,” and an independent firm was to take a second look on Friday, Tennessee’s Chief Engineer Paul Degges said earlier. Officials had said emergency repairs could take months and lead to delays in a major US shipping corridor.
1/2 Break found in supporting beam
2/2 I-40 bridge spans the Mississippi River
A major road bridge over the Mississippi River has been closed after a complete break was discovered in one of its steel support beams.
The fault was found during a routine inspection of the Interstate 40 steel tied arch bridge – also known as the Hernando DeSoto Bridge – that connects Arkansas with Memphis in the USA.
Arkansas Department of Transportation director Lorie Tudor said that the fault had the potential of becoming a catastrophic event had it not been caught.
The cause of the damage is under investigation, but Tudor said stress caused by wear and tear on the 50-year-old bridge was likely a factor.
By: CBS News, Associated Press
MEMPHIS, Arkansas -
Repairs to the Interstate 40 bridge linking Arkansas and Tennessee could take months after a crack was found in the span, forcing thousands of trucks and cars to detour and shutting down shipping on a section of the Mississippi River, a transportation official said Wednesday.
A congressional Democrat from Tennessee flagged the crack as a warning sign of the urgent need to act on fixes to the nation s infrastructure. Republican U.S. senators also pointed out the need for infrastructure spending while criticizing President Joe Biden s plan.
The six-lane bridge Hernando DeSoto Bridge into Memphis was shut down Tuesday afternoon after inspectors found a significant fracture in one of two 900-foot horizontal steel beams that are crucial for the bridge s integrity, said Lorie Tudor, director of the Arkansas Department of Transportation.
I-40 bridge near Memphis closed indefinitely after officials discover a crack during routine inspection
The Arkansas Department of Transportation discovered a crack along the I-40 bridge near Memphis, causing it to be closed indefinitely while repairs are made. Author: Ian Russell Updated: 7:40 PM CDT May 12, 2021
ARKANSAS, USA If you ve driven across the I-40 bridge towards Memphis, chances are that you don t stop and think of the maintenance involved to keep the bridge safe. It s a tough job that goes unnoticed, Lorie Tudor, Director of the Arkansas Department of Transportation, said.
After a massive crack was discovered in one of the support beams holding up the I-40 bridge, it, along with the workers, are now in the spotlight.