Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Clay Bright announced Monday the emergency bridge repair project at the freeway over the Mississippi River at Memphis has been awarded to Kiewit Infrastructure Group. The selection was based on qualifications, experience, and availability of personnel and equipment, officials said. The contractor is expected to start work as early as Wednesday.
The repair will be performed in two phases. Both phases will need to be completed before traffic can re-open on the bridge, it was stated.
Officials said, "At this point, we are unable to project a re-opening date."
- Phase 1 will require the installation of steel plates on each side of the fractured member.
This repair will strengthen the damaged steel plates providing stability needed for crews to install equipment for the permanent replacement of the damaged components and continue bridge inspections. The design of the plates has been completed, and plans were provided to Stupp Bridge Company in Bowling Green, Kentucky, for fabrication. Fabrication of the roughly 18,000 lbs. of steel is expected to be complete by Wednesday, May 19th. TDOT forces will be picking up the fabricated plates from Stupp Bridge Company and transport them to Memphis, where they will be ready for the contractor.
-
- Phase 2 design is underway and will be finalized with the input of the contractor. This will enable crews to remove and replace the damaged piece and open the bridge to traffic.
Governor Bill Lee and TDOT Commissioner Bright will visit Memphis tomorrow.
We now 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 @myTDOT on social media for the latest.