I-55 bridge in Memphis to shut down for two weeks

One of the two interstate highway bridges that connect West Memphis to Memphis will be closed for two weeks starting Sunday (March 10). The I-55 bridge will re-open at 8 p.m. on March 23, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

The southbound lane will be closed at Bridgeport Road on the Arkansas side of the river and the northbound lane will be shutdown at South Parkway. The southbound ramp will be closed along with westbound Crump Boulevard.

“TDOT contract crews will be closing the I-55 Mississippi River Bridge for two weeks to continue construction activities on the I-55 and Crump interchange. During the two-week closure, crews will hydro-demolition the bridge deck and provide a new polymer concrete overlay. The polymer-modified concrete has strict temperature restrictions. All work is weather-dependent. The upcoming closure is the first of two allowed in the contract,” TDOT stated in a press release.

The bridge, one of the busiest in the U.S. in terms of trucked freight, has been in use since December of 1949. Since late last year it has been shut down several times for repairs and new construction work.

In 2021 the bridge was heavily utilized after its twin, the I-40 bridge was shut down for more than two months after a crack was discovered.