I-40 Eastbound Exit 1 Ramp in Memphis to Re-Open Saturday

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Crews working to seismically retrofit the Interstate 40 Bridge over the Mississippi River in Memphis will reopen the I-40 Eastbound exit to Front Street, Riverside Drive and the Tennessee Welcome Center Saturday afternoon, August 21, three days ahead of schedule. Workers will reduce I-40 to one lane to begin removing portable concrete barrier rail used during the ramp closure at 7:00 a.m. Saturday until approximately 3:00 p.m.  All lanes, including the ramp, will reopen after removal of the barrier. This completes Phase One of the three phases of work to replace seismic bridge joints on three piers near Exit 1.
 

During Phase One, workers successfully replaced a large seismic joint on one of the bridge piers near Exit 1. The work will continue in two additional phases which begin September 7 and require the reduction of I-40 to one lane in each direction until mid-November. 

 

Phase 2 – Begins September 7, 2010 – the I-40 Bridge will be reduced to one 11 ft. travel lane in each direction. The two left (inside) lanes of I-40 will be closed at the Riverside Dr. interchange. Ramps will be open to allow east and westbound traffic to exit at Front Street and Riverside Dr. All Wide loadswill be diverted to the I-55 Bridge. 

 

Phase 3 – mid-October through the week of November 15 – the I-40 Bridge will remain down to one 11 ft. lane in each direction. The two right (outside) lanes will be closed. In addition, the entrance ramp to I-40 west from Front St. and Riverside Dr. will be closed. All wide loads and over height loads will be diverted to the I-155 Bridge in Dyersburg.

 

I-55 at Crump Interchange Ramp Closures and Detours: In conjunction with Phase 2 and 3, beginning September 7 crews will close the ramp from westbound Crump Blvd. to I-55 South. Motorists will be detoured onto Florida St. and to South Parkway to access I-55 South. The ramp from I-55 South to northbound Riverside Dr. will also be closed. Motorists will be detoured onto Florida St. to Georgia Ave. to Riverside Dr.

 

TDOT has created a project website, http://www.tn.gov/tdot/i40hd/, and has distributed brochures and posters to area businesses to help inform the public about the upcoming work.

 

I-40 crossing the Mississippi River is a vital structure for traffic and freight movement in America. TDOT, in partnership with the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department, is retrofitting the bridge to withstand a magnitude 7.0 earthquake. Construction on the seismic retrofit began in 2000 and six phases of the work is complete. 

For up to date travel information visit the TDOT SmartWay website at http://www.tn.gov/tdot/tdotsmartway/ or call 5-1-1 from any land-line or cell phone.  Motorists can also follow Memphis511 on Twitter for travel alerts in the Memphis area or follow TN511 for statewide alerts.