WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. — The Interstate 40 bridge linking Arkansas and Tennessee remained closed Wednesday afternoon after authorities said they found a crack in the span.
https://t.co/hjBj7RD9JU - A routine inspection of I-40 MS River Bridge revealed a crack that requires further investigation - we're working with @myTDOT to make sure the bridge is safe for motorists before we reopen it. Stay tuned to @IDriveArkansas for updates!
— Arkansas DOT (@myARDOT) May 11, 2021
The Arkansas Department of Transportation tweeted that it found the crack Tuesday during a routine inspection of the bridge over the Mississippi River into Memphis, Tennessee. The department said it was working with the Tennessee Department of Transportation to ensure the bridge is safe before reopening.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation said the crack was found in the bottom side of the bridge truss.
Here's a look at the crack on the I-40 bridge over the Mississippi River. @myARDOT says it's on a critical beam that runs the length of the bridge. @KATVNews
— Alex Burch (@KATVAlex) May 12, 2021
More: https://t.co/RioBDFhSDx pic.twitter.com/gzgP6ARjD2
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 south of the I-40 span. River traffic was also shut down until further notice, the Tennessee Department of Transportation said.
#40MSRiverBridge Press Briefing: Assistant Chief Engineer Steve Frisbee explains that even simple solutions, such as welding a repair into place, becomes more complicated due to the size and that it's over the water.
— Arkansas DOT (@myARDOT) May 12, 2021
In an inspection for the 2020 National Bridge Inventory report, the Federal Highway Administration said the 1.8-mile 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.”
However, height and width clearances for oversize vehicles were “basically intolerable requiring high priority of corrective action,” the inspectors found. Tennessee recommended “bridge deck replacement with only incidental widening.”
The bridge carried a 2020 average of 35,000 vehicles a day across the wide Mississippi, 29% of them trucks, according to the report. Its traffic volume was expected to increase to 56,000 vehicles per day by 2040.
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