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Crisis on the Memphis Bridge

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Bridges are everyday parts of our lives that we often take for granted, but when one goes down, we notice their significant impact. That is where this episode of Highway See begins. On May 11, 2021, a routine inspection of the Hernando de Soto Bridge, which spans the mighty Mississippi River in Memphis, Tennessee, revealed a fracture in an integral part of the bridge’s construction. All traffic on the bridge, and below the bridge, was brought to an immediate halt. Both interstate I-40 and the Mississippi River, crucial veins in commerce and economic traffic, were severed. For this riveting episode of Highway See we take the deep dive into the drama of the “Memphis Bridge.”


From the discovery of the fracture, to the phenomenal team of experts who solved the issue of the repair, to the vastly successful reopening of the bridge, we cover it all. Tune into this episode for the whole story!


On this Special Episode, host Chris Hill guides us through the crucial tale:

  • The Discovery of the Fracture on May 11, 2021
  • The joint ownership of the I-40 bridge by Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) and Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT)
  • Former TDOT Commissioner Clay Bright, TDOT Structures  and the Impact of the Bridge Closure
  • An Expert Team Gets to Work
  • The Bridge from Fracture to Repair: The Three Phases
  • The Resounding Successes of the Repair
  • The Way We Think about Bridges in the Future
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