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46-1004: The Memphis & Arkansas Bridge , also known as the Memphis–Arkansas Bridge or inaccurately as the Memphis–Arkansas Memorial Bridge , is a cantilevered through truss bridge carrying Interstate 55 across the Mississippi River between West Memphis, Arkansas and Memphis, Tennessee . Memphians refer to this bridge as the "Old Bridge" to distinguish it from the "New Bridge", or Hernando de Soto Bridge , upstream. The Memphis & Arkansas Bridge also carries U.S. Route 61 (US 61), US 64 , US 70 , US 78 , and US 79 from Memphis to West Memphis; it also carried US 63 prior to its truncation (and later rerouting) in Arkansas. The western terminus of Tennessee State Route 1 (SR 1) sits on

92-423: A balanced cantilever ; when they attach to a solid foundation, the counterbalancing arms are called anchor arms . Thus, in a bridge built on two foundation piers, there are four cantilever arms: two which span the obstacle, and two anchor arms that extend away from the obstacle. Because of the need for more strength at the balanced cantilever's supports, the bridge superstructure often takes the form of towers above

138-456: A 90-degree change in I-55's direction onto the bridge, have led to more recent traffic problems including a failed TDOT plan that would have required a long-term closure of I-55 and the bridge in order to reconstruct the interchange, as well as lane closures and other issues at the interchange during the 2021 I-40 bridge closure during which this was the only open bridge at Memphis. On August 12, 2012,

184-496: A bridge that could handle differential settlement of the foundations. Engineers could more easily calculate the forces and stresses with a hinge in the girder. Heinrich Gerber was one of the engineers to obtain a patent for a hinged girder (1866) and is recognized as the first to build one. The Hassfurt Bridge over the Main river in Germany with a central span of 124 feet (38 metres)

230-511: A cyclist was killed after being struck by a vehicle when using the shoulder approaching the bridge. On December 23, 2014, numerous news sources reported that the FBI had released an official statement warning local law enforcements of a threat to the bridge during that month. The FBI stated, "according to an anonymous complainant... ISIS instructed an ISIS member, a presumed USPER (U.S. person) in Memphis, with

276-572: A direct order to blow up the Memphis–Arkansas bridge on an unknown date, activating ISIS terror cells in the United States." Security was heightened, but the threat was later discredited. The need to eventually replace the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge has been recognized for some time, due to its age and the fact that it was not designed to withstand a high magnitude earthquake, as well as its violations of Interstate Highway standards. The need for

322-575: A freeway and had Interstate signage installed in 1960. During the rest of the 1960s, I-55 was built in portions throughout Illinois, eventually connecting St. Louis to Chicago , where it became the fourth direct route between them. As it goes southward, most of the Interstate was purpose-built during the 1960s and 1970s. The entire length was completed in 1979. In Louisiana , I-55 runs nearly 66 miles (106 km) from south to north, from I-10 near Laplace (25 miles (40 km) west of New Orleans ) to

368-461: A grant under the BIP to replace the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge. Under the terms of the application, TDOT and ARDOT have agreed to each pay for 25% of the total cost of the bridge, which is tentatively expected to cost $ 787.5 million, although the final figure could be higher. On July 12, 2024, a $ 394 million grant was awarded for the replacement. This project, which has been named "America's River Crossing",

414-783: A new bridge was once again thrust into the spotlight when the Hernando de Soto Bridge was closed to all traffic between May 11 and August 2, 2021, due to a fracture in the structure. This forced much of the traffic on I-40 to detour across the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge. Later that year, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) was enacted by Congress. This legislation includes the Bridge Investment Program (BIP), which provides $ 7.25 billion in federal funding until 2026 for bridge projects costing over $ 100 million. These projects are awarded in competitive grants at 50% of

460-440: Is available to support the tension in the upper chord of the span during construction, usually limiting this method to the spanning of narrow canyons. World's longest cantilever bridges (by longest span): Interstate 55 Interstate 55 ( I-55 ) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, connecting

506-860: Is hence directed to detour via I-240 and I-40. For the Tennessee stretch of the Interstate, the usual national freeway speed limit of 70 mph (110 km/h) is reduced to 65 mph (105 km/h). I-55 enters Arkansas from Tennessee as it crosses the Mississippi River on the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge . It overlaps I-40 for approximately 2.8 miles (4.5 km) in West Memphis . After separating from I-40, I-55 turns northward and runs with US 61, US 63 , and US 64 until US 64 exits in through Marion . I-55/US 61/US 63 continues north through Crittenden County through rural farms of

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552-604: Is tentatively planned to begin in 2026. Annual average daily traffic (AADT) figures reported by the Tennessee Department of Transportation for 2018, three years before the notable 2021 closure of the I-40 Hernando de Soto Bridge or "new bridge", show that the I-55 "old bridge" carries substantially more vehicles (64,520) than the I-40 bridge (37,308) despite its being older and narrower. Meanwhile, similar figures reported by

598-469: The Arkansas Department of Transportation for 2020, the year before the I-40 bridge closure, from devices that also measure percentage of truck traffic suggest that though the I-40 bridge had slightly more vehicles (47,000) than the I-55 bridge (45,000), the I-55 bridge actually had a higher percentage of truck traffic (37 percent) than the I-40 bridge (26 percent). The bridge can be seen in scenes of

644-483: The Arkansas Department of Transportation , of the original wooden viaduct leading from West Memphis to the Harahan Bridge. Most of the 1930 viaduct was reused for the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge until the present I-55 viaduct replaced it in the 1980's; a small portion of that viaduct now serves as the Arkansas entrance to the Harahan Bridge's Big River Crossing (built on one of its former "wagonways"). Planning for

690-525: The Arkansas delta , including an interchange with I-555 /US 63 in Turrell . I-55 passes through Blytheville , where it has a junction with Highway 18 (AR 18) before entering Missouri. I-55 parallels US 61 in its path through Arkansas, which it continues to do after crossing into Missouri. In Missouri, I-55 runs from the southeastern part of the state, at the Arkansas border, to St. Louis. In

736-537: The Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes . The highway travels from LaPlace, Louisiana , at I-10 to Chicago, Illinois , at U.S. Route 41 (US 41, Lake Shore Drive ), at McCormick Place . The major cities that I-55 connects to are (from south to north) New Orleans, Louisiana ; Jackson, Mississippi ; Memphis, Tennessee ; St. Louis, Missouri ; and Chicago, Illinois. The section of I-55 between Chicago and St. Louis

782-770: The I-270 / I-70 split, it is referred to as the Paul Simon Freeway after former US Senator Paul Simon , who began his political career in this region. Further north, between the St. Louis area and Springfield, I-55 is named the Vince Demuzio Expressway for former Illinois State Senator Vince Demuzio . Finally, in the Chicago area between the I-80 interchange near Joliet and I-55's eastern terminus at US 41 ( Lake Shore Drive ) in Chicago,

828-800: The Mississippi state line near Kentwood . Approximately a third of the distance consists of the Manchac Swamp Bridge , a nearly 23-mile (37 km) causeway , often cited as the third-longest viaduct in the world. In Mississippi , I-55 runs 290.5 miles (467.5 km) from the Louisiana border near Osyka to Southaven on the Tennessee border, just south of Memphis, Tennessee . Noteworthy cities and towns that I-55 passes through or close by to are Brookhaven , McComb , Jackson , and Grenada . This highway parallels US 51 in its path roughly through

874-458: The Navajo Bridge ) are built using pure cantilever spans from each side, with neither falsework below nor temporary supporting towers and cables above. These are then joined with a pin, usually after forcing the union point apart, and when jacks are removed and the bridge decking is added the bridge becomes a truss arch bridge . Such unsupported construction is only possible where appropriate rock

920-712: The 1989 film Great Balls of Fire! starring Dennis Quaid as Jerry Lee Lewis . The bridge is referenced in the Chuck Berry song " Memphis, Tennessee ," where it is simply called "the Mississippi bridge." [REDACTED] Media related to Memphis-Arkansas Bridge at Wikimedia Commons Cantilever bridge The steel truss cantilever bridge was a major engineering breakthrough when first put into practice, as it can span distances of over 1,500 feet (450 m), and can be more easily constructed at difficult crossings by virtue of using little or no falsework . Engineers in

966-435: The 19th century understood that a bridge that was continuous across multiple supports would distribute the loads among them. This would result in lower stresses in the girder or truss and meant that longer spans could be built. Several 19th-century engineers patented continuous bridges with hinge points mid-span. The use of a hinge in the multi-span system presented the advantages of a statically determinate system and of

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1012-614: The Arkansas border to the southern portion of St. Louis County . Through Illinois, I-55 largely follows the 1940 alignment of the former US 66 , now Historic US 66 (Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway). It runs from the Poplar Street Bridge in East St. Louis to US 41 in Chicago, passing around the state capital of Springfield and the metro area of Bloomington – Normal . Within Illinois, I-55 goes by several names. Near

1058-420: The Mississippi River. The western portion of this highway, which passes through an industrialized section of the city, contains numerous low-clearance bridges and also a very tight 270-degree cloverleaf turn northbound at Crump Boulevard. The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) currently has an interchange improvement project for this portion. Heavy truck traffic heading to and from Arkansas in this area

1104-491: The Tennessee side, but give way to grassy slopes on the shoulders of I-55 on the Arkansas side. The sidewalk and bridge is listed as part of the Mississippi River Trail . However, travel is not recommended across the sidewalk and is prohibited on the vehicle traffic lanes of the bridge, as the structure is an Interstate Highway crossing. In 2016, a pedestrian/bicycle path on the neighboring Harahan Bridge made crossing

1150-533: The Tennessee–Arkansas boundary halfway across the bridge. Opened in 1949, the bridge is currently the oldest bridge on the Interstate Highway System in Tennessee and Arkansas. It is currently planned to be replaced with a larger and wider bridge, starting in 2026. The bridge consists of five Warren through trusses, each with a length of 790 feet (240 m). Combined with the approach segments,

1196-415: The action of the outer foundations. Cantilever Bridge.—A structure at least one portion of which acts as an anchorage for sustaining another portion which extends beyond the supporting pier. A simple cantilever span is formed by two cantilever arms extending from opposite sides of an obstacle to be crossed, meeting at the center. In a common variant, the suspended span , the cantilever arms do not meet in

1242-561: The bridge's total length is 5,222 feet (1,592 m). Completed in 1949, it is the only bridge spanning the Mississippi River designed to carry exclusively vehicular traffic that was built before 1950. It was designed by Modjeski and Masters, successors to the firm that designed the Harahan Bridge , built in 1916 to carry vehicular and rail traffic. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. Built before

1288-513: The center of Mississippi. The eight miles (13 km) from Hernando to the Tennessee state line coincide with the newer I-69 . The Mississippi section of I-55 is defined in the Mississippi Code § 65-3-3. I-55 in Tennessee lies entirely within the city of Memphis , passing through the southern and western parts of the city and providing a bypass of downtown for motorists who do not want to take I-240 and I-40 through downtown to cross

1334-423: The center; instead, they support a central truss bridge which rests on the ends of the cantilever arms. The suspended span may be built off-site and lifted into place, or constructed in place using special travelling supports. A common way to construct steel truss and prestressed concrete cantilever spans is to counterbalance each cantilever arm with another cantilever arm projecting the opposite direction, forming

1380-451: The established navigation channel beneath them. Construction on the bridge began on September 12, 1945, and the bridge opened to traffic on December 17, 1949. Though Crump Boulevard was originally intended to serve as the main access to the bridge from Memphis, TDOT replaced the west end of Crump Boulevard with a stretch of I-55 in the late 1960's. The issues resulting from the cloverleaf interchange at I-55 and Crump, required to accommodate

1426-669: The expressway is referred to as the Adlai E. Stevenson Expressway (previously called the Southwest Expressway ) in honor of former Illinois governor Adlai E. Stevenson II , who was a two-time Democratic nominee for President of the United States and also the US Ambassador to the United Nations under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson . In July 2018 the stretch of I-55 from I-294 to milemarker 202 near Pontiac

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1472-418: The firm founded by Ralph Modjeski who designed the Harahan Bridge in 1916 and helped design the area's original Frisco Bridge in 1892, to prepare plans for this bridge even though Modjeski himself died in 1940. Though truss bridges increasingly fell out of fashion after World War II , this bridge's truss design, especially its main span, was largely dictated by the neighboring Frisco & Harahan Bridges and

1518-648: The foundation piers. The Commodore Barry Bridge is an example of this type of cantilever bridge. Steel truss cantilevers support loads by tension of the upper members and compression of the lower ones. Commonly, the structure distributes the tension via the anchor arms to the outermost supports, while the compression is carried to the foundations beneath the central towers. Many truss cantilever bridges use pinned joints and are therefore statically determinate with no members carrying mixed loads. Prestressed concrete balanced cantilever bridges are often built using segmental construction . Some steel arch bridges (such as

1564-459: The introduction of the Interstate Highway System , the span was not built to Interstate Highway standards ; it originally lacked the concrete barrier between the different directions of traffic which, was added later. It was also built with a sidewalk on either side of the roadway, positioned just outside the steel truss girders. The sidewalks, now also separated from the traffic lanes by concrete barriers, are accessible from Memphis city sidewalks on

1610-510: The new bridge began in 1939 with the creation of a joint Memphis-Arkansas bridge commission headed by longtime Memphis political boss E. H. Crump . Walter Chandler , another notable Tennessee politician who was a member of the Crump machine at that time, also served on the bridge commission. Simultaneously with the bridge, Crump planned a new bypass street leading to the bridge, avoiding both downtown Memphis and historic African American neighborhoods to

1656-467: The river safer and eliminated the need to use the I-55 bridge. Despite common references to this bridge as a "Memorial Bridge", most likely resulting from its opening shortly after World War II, there is no evidence that this bridge was ever intended to be a memorial to anything. There is no mention of any memorial intent on the bridge's nameplates, including a dedicatory poem on one nameplate (officially attributed to Walter Chandler) that appears to focus on

1702-492: The single-lane cantilevered "wagonways" of the Harahan Bridge from its opening in 1916 all the way to this bridge's opening in 1949. This increased traffic led to the incorporation of West Memphis, Arkansas in 1927 where the Arkansas roadways leading to the Harahan Bridge came together, as well as the 1930 replacement by the Arkansas State Highway Commission (ASHC), the modern-day version of which oversees

1748-503: The south, which came to be known as Crump Boulevard. Aretha Franklin was born on Lucy Avenue, in just such a neighborhood south of Crump Boulevard, in 1942 before moving eventually to Detroit where she became famous as the Queen of Soul. By May 1944, the ASHC and Tennessee's Department of Highway and Public Works (now the Tennessee Department of Transportation or TDOT) hired Modjeski and Masters,

1794-589: The southern part of the state, I-55 meets I-57 in Sikeston . Then I-55 goes north to St. Louis, where I-44 merges in with I-55, and then I-64 (on the Poplar Street Bridge ), when crossing the Mississippi River into Illinois. Among the cities and towns served by I-55 in Missouri are Sikeston, Cape Girardeau , and St. Louis. As noted above, I-55 parallels US 61 for most of its course through Missouri, from

1840-431: The structural principles of the suspended span cantilever by sitting in chairs and supporting their colleague, Kaichi Watanabe , in between them, using just their arms and wooden poles. The suspended span, where Watanabe sits, is in the center. The wooden poles resist the compression of the lower chord , while the outstretched arms support the tension of the upper chord. The placement of the brick counterweights demonstrates

1886-523: The total cost. On April 17, 2023, Governor Bill Lee signed into law the Transportation Modernization Act, which provides increased funding for highway projects in Tennessee. Six months later TDOT and ARDOT completed a study on the possibility of a new bridge in Memphis, which found that replacing the Memphis & Arkansas bridge would be the most cost-effective option. On December 4, 2023, TDOT and ARDOT jointly submitted an application for

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1932-428: The traffic expected to cross the bridge rather than any memorial. (This is in contrast to the Harahan Bridge, which was named for a railroad executive who died in an accident during the bridge's construction.) Crump himself, for whom the boulevard originally leading to the bridge was named, lived until 1954; Chandler lived until 1967. The Memphis & Arkansas Bridge was inspired by the ever increasing flow of traffic on

1978-563: Was 275 feet (84 metres) deep and took full advantage of the fact that falsework, or temporary support, is not needed for the main span of a cantilever bridge. The Forth Bridge is a notable example of an early cantilever bridge. This bridge held the record for longest span in the world for twenty-nine years until it was surpassed by the Quebec Bridge . The engineers responsible for the bridge, Sir Benjamin Baker and Sir John Fowler , demonstrated

2024-546: Was built as an alternate route for U.S. Route 66 (US 66). The Interstate crosses the Mississippi River twice: once at Memphis and again at St. Louis. When it was realized that a national highway system was needed, the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 provided for a highway replacing the old US 66 which I-55 filled. I-55 was originally constructed in the 1960s, to extend a section of US 66 between I-294 and Gardner which had been converted into

2070-530: Was completed in 1867 and is recognized as the first modern cantilever bridge. The High Bridge of Kentucky by C. Shaler Smith (1877), the Niagara Cantilever Bridge by Charles Conrad Schneider (1883) and the Poughkeepsie Bridge by John Francis O'Rourke and Pomeroy P. Dickinson (1889) were all important early uses of the cantilever design. The Kentucky River Bridge spanned a gorge that

2116-477: Was renamed as Barack Obama Presidential Expressway . When the stretch of I-55 through Illinois was being planned during the 1960s, the state's governor, Otto Kerner Jr. , made an effort to have it routed close to the larger city of Peoria instead of the straighter route through the Bloomington–Normal area. This ultimately failed plan was ridiculed in the press as the so-called "Kerner Curve". The need for

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