
The repair of a vital Memphis bridge could take 2 months, chief engineer says
CNN
It could take up to two months to temporarily repair a crack that forced the closure of a vital bridge in Memphis, Tennessee, and the waterway below, according to the chief engineer of the state's Department of Transportation.
The Hernando de Soto Bridge on Interstate 40 was shut down Tuesday for emergency repairs after transportation officials discovered the crack in the bridge during a routine inspection. On Wednesday, the US Coast Guard put a waterway restriction on the Mississippi River below, leaving at least 24 vessels with 346 barges waiting to travel in either direction, according to Lt. Mark Pipkin of Coast Guard Sector Lower Mississippi River. "It will be a number of weeks at least until we can have a repair in place, probably six to eight weeks minimum," Paul Degges, Tennessee Department of Transportation chief engineer told CNN. "Hopefully we can pull a rabbit out of a hat sooner, but public safety is most important. There are lots of moving parts to look at."More Related News