The Hernando Desoto bridge across the Mississippi River has partially reopened to traffic late Saturday night – much to the joy of commuters and truckers. The bridge had been scheduled to reopen on Monday, but workers completed the job ahead of schedule. The westbound lanes are expected to open on Friday.
KWAM will provide complete coverage of the bridge reopening as well as live traffic reports starting at 6 a.m. on “Wake Up Memphis With Tim Van Horn.”The Interstate 40 bridge was shut down on May 11th after crews discovered a massive break in one of the steel support beams. For months motorists endured traffic jams as all bridge traffic was rerouted across the old I-55 bridge.
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The I-40 Hernando DeSoto Bridge normally has 100,000 travelers per day and is a part of the third busiest trucking corridor in the country.
I-40 EB lanes on the Hernando DeSoto bridge is OPEN! pic.twitter.com/2xo4yv5F56
— Nichole Lawrence (@NicLawrenceTDOT) August 1, 2021
Load testing of the I-40 Hernando DeSoto bridge is underway! #i40msriverbridge #memphis pic.twitter.com/Iq53Ty7HV1
— Nichole Lawrence (@NicLawrenceTDOT) July 28, 2021
#ICYMI You probably already know, but just in case – I-40 all EB lanes of the Hernando DeSoto bridge are OPEN! pic.twitter.com/JTm3iy44bU
— Nichole Lawrence (@NicLawrenceTDOT) August 1, 2021
The president of the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce said the reopening is a huge boost for Mid-South businesses.
“The trucking industry has lost a lot with us being the third busiest trucking corridor in the country. So many goods and services come here and then go out from there,” Beverly Robertson told television station WREG.
West Memphis Mayor Marco McClendon was in one of the first vehicles to cross over the bridge, Fox 13 reports.
