I-40 Bridge Shutdown Could Last Months
A major bridge, which carries more than 10,000 trucks daily over the Mississippi River on Interstate 40, has been shut down following the discovery of a crack in the bridge’s support beams. It could be months before it’s fixed.
Crews will begin emergency repairs on the six-lane Hernando DeSoto Bridge, but it could be months before it’s fixed.
Photo: TDOT
A major bridge, which carries more than 40,000 vehicles daily over the Mississippi River on Interstate 40, has been shut down following the discovery of a crack in one of the bridge’s support beams. It could be months before it’s fixed.
Of the vehicle traffic that normally uses the 48-year-old bridge, nearly a third of it are trucks, said Paul Degges, chief engineer for the Tennessee Department of Transportation, during a press conference. Now, those trucks and vehicles are being rerouted between 60 and 90 minutes away to I-55, the only other river-crossing option in the Memphis area.
Shannon Newton, president of the Arkansas Trucking Association, told Arkansas Democrat Gazette that the closure will have a “significant ripple effect on the already strained supply chain.”
When this TV station talked to one truck driver, he said he had been waiting in traffic for three hours. Have you been affected by the I-40 bridge closure? If so, how are you dealing with it? https://t.co/VLWnfUmcp9
— Heavy Duty Trucking (@HDTrucking) May 12, 2021
TDOT contract crews have entirely shut down the bridge as they further inspect the fracture that developed in the bottom side of a bridge truss, one of the 900-foot steel beams supporting two of the bridge spans. The beam is critical, one of two which runs the length of the bridge. The inspection alone could take weeks, TDOT officials said in a Facebook post.
The fracture developed in the bottom side of a bridge truss, one of the 900-foot beams supporting two of the bridge spans.
Photo: TDOT
Crews will begin emergency repairs on the six-lane Hernando DeSoto Bridge, but that could take months rather than weeks, Degges said.
The state’s highway engineers called on national experts in bridge repair to speed up reopening the bridge, the Gazette reported.
A routine annual inspection by the Arkansas DOT, which shares responsibility for the bridge, uncovered the crack and immediately shut it down. The I-40 bridge wasn't deemed structurally deficient before May 11.
Memphis, Tennessee - Today TDOT officials held a press event to talk about the I-40 Hernando DeSoto Bridge closure. The...
Posted by myTDOT on Wednesday, May 12, 2021
More Drivers
Platform Science Adds Dispatch and Safety Tools
Four additions to PS Fleet help fleets monitor loads, manage driver coaching, share truck locations and adjust video system settings.
Read More →
When Language Stops the Truck: The Return of ELP Out-of-Service Orders
English language proficiency rules for commercial drivers aren’t new, but renewed out-of-service enforcement has raised the stakes. Here’s what carriers need to know before a driver reaches a roadside inspection.
Read More →
Samsara Launches Custom AI Agent Builder
Agent Studio lets fleets create AI tools for hours-of-service monitoring, reporting and driver support, including agents that communicate by phone.
Read More →
Trucker Path Expands Reserved Parking Network
Trucker Path has added close to 6,000 more truck parking spaces to its Trucker Path Reserved Parking Network with the addition of Safe Truck Parking.
Read More →
EEOC Sues Texas Trucking Company Over Driver Age Limits
The agency says Trancasa USA rejected applicants over 65 and applied tougher driving-record standards to those over 60.
Read More →
Nussbaum, Roehl Announce Second Driver Pay Increase This Year
This year has seen a swath of major truck driver pay increases as freight capacity has tightened.
Read More →
From One Generation to the Next: How Mentorship Builds Safer Truck Drivers
After three decades in trucking, Harold Perry shares what he's learned about driver safety, mentorship, and helping the next generation build confidence behind the wheel.
Read More →
Truck Drivers Need More Than Another Alert
Fleets have more visibility into truck health, safety events, and driver activity than ever. The next challenge is turning all that information into useful guidance for the person who has to decide what to do next.
Read More →
FMCSA Removes 110 Truck Driver Training Schools from Certified ELDT List
Federal regulators also are targeting more than 160 additional training providers and launching a nationwide audit of third-party CDL skills testers as part of a broader crackdown on trucking fraud.
Read More →
Hours of Service Pilot Programs: FMCSA Readies for 2027 Rollout
Two pilot programs could eventually reshape hours-of-service rules, giving truck drivers options to pause their 14-hour clock or use longer split sleeper rest periods.
Read More →