Lane Closures on I-40 Bridge Over the Mississippi River Begin in One Month

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - In just one month crews will reduce the Interstate 40 Bridge over the Mississippi River near Memphis to one lane in each direction for approximately two months. Crews must reduce the bridge to one lane in each direction in order to safely install a new seismic expansion joint along three bridge piers located near the Riverside Drive exit. The lane closures will begin immediately following the morning rush hour on Tuesday, September 7, 2010 and will last until the week of November 15. 

 

"We know this closure will be inconvenient for many motorists and businesses; however, we cannot have traffic driving over this bridge joint as crews work to replace it," said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely. "TDOT is working very closely with emergency responders and HELP units will conduct extra patrols on the two Mississippi River bridges to keep traffic moving during the lane closure period."

 

Work on this part of the seismic retrofit project is broken into three phases. Phase one is currently underway, with the total closure of I-40 eastbound Exit 1.  Traffic is currently detoured to Exit 1-B at Danny Thomas Blvd. 
 

The remaining two phases involve reducing I-40 traffic on the bridge to one lane in each direction for two months:

Phase 2 - Begins September 7, 2010 - I-40 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 Drive interchange. Ramps will be open so that west and eastbound traffic may exit to Front Street and Riverside Drive. All Wide loads will be diverted to the Memphis-Arkansas I-55 Bridge.  

 

Phase 3 - mid-October through the week of November 15 - I-40 will remain open to just one 11 ft. travel lane in each direction.  For phase three, the two right (outside) lanes will be closed and the I-40 westbound entrance ramp from Front Street and Riverside Drive will be closed. All wide loads and over height loads will be diverted to I-155 in Dyersburg with the closure of the westbound entrance ramp.

 

The I-40 Bridge crossing the Mississippi River is a vital structure for traffic and freight movement in America. Around 45,000 - 50,000 vehicles use the bridge each day.  Located just 60 miles south of the New Madrid Fault, this nearly 40-year old bridge is being reinforced to withstand a magnitude 7.0 earthquake. The closest detour, if both the I-40 and I-55 bridges in Memphis were closed, would be the I-155 Bridge 85 miles to the north in Dyer County or the U.S. 49 Bridge 85 miles to the south between Helena, Mississippi and West Helena, Arkansas. TDOT is constructing this project in partnership with the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. The federal government is providing 80% of the funding with Tennessee and Arkansas sharing the remaining 20%.

For more information on this project visit the project web page at www.tn.gov/tdot/i40hd/default.htm.

 

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