The Arkansas Department of Transportation said a routine inspection revealed a crack requiring further investigation. Author: Local 24 Staff (Local 24) Published: 3:15 PM CDT May 11, 2021 Updated: 10:12 PM CDT May 11, 2021
MEMPHIS, Tenn. UPDATE 5:40 p.m. - From the Tennessee Department of Transportation: Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) contract crews will begin emergency repairs on the I-40 Hernando DeSoto Bridge over the Mississippi River after a routine inspection uncovered a crack in the bottom side of the bridge truss. For the motoring public s safety, the bridge will be entirely shut down while crews investigate the crack s extent further and then repair the problem, which could take some time.
Structural crack on Hernando de Soto M bridge closes all I-40 lanes, Mississippi River boat traffic Laura Testino and Daniel Connolly, Memphis Commercial Appeal
A structural crack has been identified on the Hernando de Soto M bridge, indefinitely closing all lanes of Interstate 40 along the bridge, as well as halting boat traffic in the area on the Mississippi River.
A consultant performing a routine inspection of the bridge located the crack around 2 p.m. Tuesday, said Dave Parker, public information officer for the Arkansas Department of Transportation. The Tennessee Department of Transportation said the crack was located on the bottom side of the bridge truss, which IDrive Arkansas described as a support beam.
Drones were being used to take a closer look at the crack, Parker said.
Traffic was backed up for miles in both directions because of the closure and was being rerouted to the 71-year-old Memphis & Arkansas Bridge that carries Interstate 55 into Memphis, about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) south of the I-40 span. River traffic was also shut down until further notice, the Tennessee Department of Transportation said.
In an inspection for the 2020 National Bridge Inventory report, the Federal Highway Administration said the 1.8-mile (2.9-kilometer) bridge checked out in fair condition overall, with all primary structure elements sound and only some minor cracks and chips in the overall structure. Its structural evaluation checked out “somewhat better than minimum adequacy to tolerate being left in place as is.”
Structural crack on Hernando de Soto M bridge closes all I-40 lanes, Mississippi River boat traffic Laura Testino and Daniel Connolly, Memphis Commercial Appeal
A structural crack has been identified on the Hernando de Soto M bridge, indefinitely closing all lanes of Interstate 40 along the bridge, as well as halting boat traffic in the area on the Mississippi River.
A consultant performing a routine inspection of the bridge located the crack around 2 p.m. Tuesday, said Dave Parker, public information officer for the Arkansas Department of Transportation. The Tennessee Department of Transportation said the crack was located on the bottom side of the bridge truss, which IDrive Arkansas described as a support beam.