A vital Memphis interstate bridge has been shut down over a crack and may not re-open for months.
I-40 links Arkansas and Tennessee and the closure is causing traffic congestion in Memphis and neighboring West Memphis. The six-lane bridge into Memphis was shut down after inspectors found a significant fracture in a 900-foot horizontal beam.
“This fracture had the potential of becoming a catastrophic event that was prevented by our staff’s diligent effort in managing our bridge inspection program,” said Lorie Tudor, director of the Arkansas Department of Transportation.
Repairing the 48-year-old, 1.8-mile bridge could take months. It has been closed indefinitely.
“Certainly, it’s plausible that this could be months rather than weeks,” Degges said during a news conference. “We are hopeful that we can find a solution that would allow us to proceed with some opening of traffic, but right now we just don’t know,” said Paul Degges, chief engineer for the Tennessee transportation department.