On Tuesday, May 11th, the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) immediately closed the Interstate 40 bridge from West Memphis to Memphis after a discovery of significant structural injury during a routine bridge inspection. The inspection found a full fracture in the bridge structure on one of the two main lateral beams. The bridge is closed indefinitely until further inspection and damage is repaired, which could take months or longer. In addition, barge traffic under the bridge was shutdown until Friday, May 14th, when it was deemed safe to pass under the bridge. Traffic over the bridge is primarily being shifted to the I-55 river bridge
More below:
https://twitter.com/myARDOT/status/1392555541206114307?s=20
https://twitter.com/myARDOT/status/1392514938120417280?s=20
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/mississippi-river-bridge-memphis-closed-fix-crack-77643957
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCG/bulletins/2d8d755
https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021/may/14/memphis-bridge-supporting-its-weight-in-doubt/
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCG/bulletins/2d92f2e