FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Nichole Lawrence
May 18, 2021 CELL: 731-225-6041
I-40 Hernando DeSoto Bridge Repair
Daily Update
Today Governor Bill Lee and TDOT Commissioner Clay Bright will travel to Memphis to meet with local
officials. Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson will also be in attendance.
TDOT awarded the emergency bridge repair contract to Kiewit Infrastructure Group yesterday
afternoon. The selection was based on qualifications, experience, and availability of personnel and
equipment. The contractor has joined the design discussion, and repair plans are being modified per
their construction expertise. Once the plans are finalized, we expect a timeline for repair and re-
opening the bridge. Kiewit will be mobilizing its equipment to the project site starting Wednesday.
The repair will be performed in two phases. Both phases will need to be completed before traffic can
re-open on the bridge.
• Phase one involves installing fabricated steel plates on each side of the fractured member to
hold the heavy equipment necessary for the permanent repairs. Below is a rendering that
depicts the location of the Phase 1 splice plate installation.
• Phase 2 consists of removing and replacing the damaged piece.
Out of an abundance of caution, TDOT will perform a review of the I-55 Bridge over the Mississippi
River to look at key components of the bridge. Our Region 4 Bridge Inspection staff will have one drone
start in Arkansas and one in Tennessee.
All interstate traffic in the Memphis area is being diverted to I-55. TDOT’s Traffic Management Center
and HELP trucks continue to monitor the closed I-40 bridge, the I-55 bridge, and congestion in
Memphis. HELP trucks are stationed on both sides of the I-55 bridge to quickly respond to any incidents
TDOT Region 4 • 300 Benchmark Place • Jackson, Tennessee 38301
Tel: 731-935-0318 •Email:
[email protected] • tn.gov/tdot
and open lanes. Additionally, we are utilizing message boards across Shelby County to assist with
messaging. We are studying safe ways to alleviate the congestion.
TDOT continues to hold daily meetings with the Arkansas Department of Transportation, our
consultants, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Memphis Police Department, and the Federal Highway
Administration to develop and expedite the repair project while managing traffic along the alternate
routes.
Our consistent message, above all, is the safety of the public is paramount, and the priorities are to 1)
open the river traffic, 2) open bridge traffic, and 3) look at the bridge for long-term issues related to the
original failure.
We have a webpage dedicated to the bridge repair: https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/region-4/i-40-
hernando-desoto-bridge.html. You can also follow us on social media for the latest.
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TDOT Region 4 • 300 Benchmark Place • Jackson, Tennessee 38301
Tel: 731-935-0318 •Email:
[email protected] • tn.gov/tdot
