I-40 Bridge over Mississippi in Memphis Closed for Weeks/Months Due to Crack

essentialsaltes

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I-40 bridge in Memphis could be closed for months, TDOT says
Bridge closed for traffic after inspection finds crack

The fracture is close to the middle of the steel “M” span, TDOT said. Three plates in a two-foot-wide steel beam had separated by a fraction of an inch and a fourth plate had a crack.

“Right now we don’t know the answer to those questions. Certainly, it’s plausible that this could be months rather than weeks,” said Paul Degges, TDOT Chief Engineer. “We are hopeful that we can find a solution that would allow us to proceed with some traffic but right now we just don’t know.”

In addition, river traffic is also shut down until further notice, according to TDOT. At least 16 vessels with a total of 229 barges are parked up and down the Mississippi River after the Coast Guard placed a waterway restiction on the river Wednesday
 

essentialsaltes

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The Hernando de Soto Bridge on Interstate 40 was shut down Tuesday for emergency repairs after transportation officials discovered the crack in the bridge during a routine inspection. On Wednesday, the US Coast Guard put a waterway restriction on the Mississippi River below, leaving at least 24 vessels with 346 barges waiting to travel in either direction, according to Lt. Mark Pipkin of Coast Guard Sector Lower Mississippi River.

"It will be a number of weeks at least until we can have a repair in place, probably six to eight weeks minimum," Paul Degges, Tennessee Department of Transportation chief engineer told CNN.

Degges described the crack as "very unusual." He believes the crack was most likely caused by fatigue or a welding error when the bridge, designed in the 1960s, was originally constructed, but the state will conduct forensic analysis to discern the exact cause.

210512181125-03-memphis-crack-hernando-de-soto-bridge-exlarge-169.jpg
 
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Pavel Mosko

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I remember driving over that bridge 7 years ago, as I was moving from the West coast (CA)to the East Coast (NC at the time), and thinking about all those news articles about our aging infrastructure during the 2+ minutes need to cross it. I think I even said a prayer because of this sort of thing. :)
 
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Goonie

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I remember driving over that bridge 7 years ago, as I was moving from the West coast (CA)to the East Coast (NC at the time), and thinking about all those news articles about our aging infrastructure during the 2+ minutes need to cross it. I think I even said a prayer because of this sort of thing. :)
So what your saying is that this crack has not been spotted for 7 years!:eek:
 
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keith99

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The Hernando de Soto Bridge on Interstate 40 was shut down Tuesday for emergency repairs after transportation officials discovered the crack in the bridge during a routine inspection. On Wednesday, the US Coast Guard put a waterway restriction on the Mississippi River below, leaving at least 24 vessels with 346 barges waiting to travel in either direction, according to Lt. Mark Pipkin of Coast Guard Sector Lower Mississippi River.

"It will be a number of weeks at least until we can have a repair in place, probably six to eight weeks minimum," Paul Degges, Tennessee Department of Transportation chief engineer told CNN.

Degges described the crack as "very unusual." He believes the crack was most likely caused by fatigue or a welding error when the bridge, designed in the 1960s, was originally constructed, but the state will conduct forensic analysis to discern the exact cause.

210512181125-03-memphis-crack-hernando-de-soto-bridge-exlarge-169.jpg

That is not a crack, it is a flat out break with over an inch, more likely over 2 inches, of displacement.
 
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essentialsaltes

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essentialsaltes

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Repairs to a cracked Mississippi River bridge in Memphis are likely to stretch for two more months, officials said Thursday, as Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited the city to inspect the work and hear how the lengthy closure has affected nearby communities.

Clay Bright, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Transportation, said the agency expects to take delivery of custom-designed repair materials — including 53-ton, 150-foot-long metal plates — later this month, with installation stretching at least through July.
 
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