With I-40 bridge closed, backup route gets inspection

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — An inspection of the Interstate 55 bridge connecting Tennessee and Arkansas began Tuesday, a week after the span became the states' primary Mississippi River crossing when a cracked steel beam prompted the indefinite closure of the nearby Interstate 40 bridge.

Inspectors using drones were looking closely at the 71-year old I-55 bridge to ensure it is structurally sound and can withstand the higher volume of road traffic it has seen since the I-40 bridge was closed May 11, said Clay Bright, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

Repairs to the heavily-used I-40 bridge are expected to begin this week, but a long-term fix could take months, officials said. The states are relying on the I-55 bridge to get cars and trucks across the Mississippi River and maintain the flow of commercial vehicles.

During a news conference in Memphis, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said the two states, along with federal agencies, were working together to repair the I-40 bridge. Both Lee and Hutchinson are Republicans.

“We will work to repair this in the shortest time possible, but we will not compromise the safety of the workers or the safety of the citizens that will drive across that bridge for the sake of finishing early,” Lee said.

Officials called for the I-55 bridge inspection out of an “over-abundance of caution,” Bright said. Should problems be found by Tennessee inspectors on the I-55 bridge — which lies about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) south of the I-40 bridge — it could lead to its closure and send motorists to river crossings 100 miles (160 kilometers) to the north near Dyersburg, Tennessee, or 60 miles (96 kilometers) to the south near Lula, Mississippi.

The new inspection comes a day after Arkansas...