I-55 bridge in Memphis to be shutdown for repairs

All lanes of the Interstate 55 Mississippi River bridge will be closed Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 15-16, to allow crews to perform bridge joint repairs.

Weather permitting, I-55 will be closed beginning at Exit 1 (Bridgeport Road) in Arkansas. Prior to the closure, I-55 will go down to one lane at Exit 4 (Martin Luther King Jr. Drive/Highway 38). The closure will extend through Exit 12 (Crump Boulevard/Riverside Drive) in Tennessee.

While the southbound lanes of I-55 will reopen Sunday evening, the northbound lanes of I-55 will remain closed until Nov. 18. Northbound traffic will continue to use the detour during that time frame.

There will be a signed detour in place. Traffic is encouraged to use the Interstate 40 Mississippi River Bridge as an alternate route.

This closure will allow crews to repair the bridge’s finger joints. Finger joints are large bridge joints comprised of metal interlacing “fingers” that allow for the expansion and contraction needed for longer bridge spans.

Message boards will be posted in advance to notify motorists of the closure. Check IDriveArkansas.com for the latest traffic information.

The bridge will be replaced by a new bridge dubbed “King’s Crossing” by both the departments of transportation in Arkansas and Tennessee. Environmental studies for the new bridge are underway, and construction is projected to begin in the middle of next year.

The new bridge named for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., B.B. King, and the king of rock ‘n’ roll Elvis Presley, will cost more than $800 million to build.