With I-40 bridge closed, I-55 backup route gets inspection Inspectors using drones are looking closely at the I-55 bridge to ensure it is structurally sound and can withstand the higher volume of road traffic it has seen since the I-40 bridge was closed May 11. (Source: KAIT-TV) By Associated Press | May 18, 2021 at 5:00 PM CDT - Updated May 18 at 5:02 PM MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — An inspection of the Interstate 55 bridge connecting Tennessee and Arkansas has begun a week after the span became the states’ primary Mississippi River crossing when a cracked steel beam prompted the indefinite closure of the nearby Interstate 40 bridge. Inspectors using drones are looking closely at the I-55 bridge to ensure it is structurally sound and can withstand the higher volume of road traffic it has seen since the I-40 bridge was closed May 11.