On May 11, 2021, a partial fracture of the steel tie-girder box section was discovered during a routine visual inspection of the Hernando DeSoto Bridge, which carries I-40 over the Mississippi River between West Memphis, Ark., and Memphis, Tenn. Upon discovery of the fracture by inspectors from Michael Baker International, Arkansas and Tennessee Department of Transportation (ADOT and TDOT) officials closed the bridge to vehicular traffic, and river vessel traffic below the bridge was restricted by the U.S. Coast Guard. The bridge, which opened in 1973, carries approximately 60,000 vehicles a day.
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