MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee transportation officials say the first step toward repairing a crack in a steel beam in the Interstate 40 bridge linking Tennessee and Arkansas has been completed.
Engineers have installed steel plates on each side of the fractured beam to secure the bridge for a permanent fix. The second step involves removing and replacing the cracked beam.
Officials say the bridge cannot reopen until both steps are completed, and the entire project could take months.
The I-40 bridge connecting Memphis and the Arkansas city of West Memphis was closed May 11 after inspectors found the crack.
In other news regarding bridge safety, ARDOT (Arkansas Department of Transportation) says one lane of traffic is now open on the U.S. Highway 63/412 bridge over the Spring River at Ravenden in Lawrence County after the bridge was closed Tuesday afternoon to make emergency repairs. (Click here for more information on this story.)
Image via Tennessee Department of Transportation
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