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The I-40 bridge over the Mississippi from Arkansas into Memphis will be closed several months after inspectors found a large structural crack in it. All traffic, including thousands of semis each day, are now having to take another bridge - which is around 70 years old.

In other words, we need an infrastructure plan ASAP.

 

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Didn't know that:

 

JFC what a buncha snowflakes

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This could deeply fuck up logistics for everybody, even before accounting for the temporary halt to barge traffic. I-55 through the city is already a shabbily designed bottleneck (you have to take a full-spiral off ramp to stay on the numbered route) and the next-closest crossings with full access to the interstate system are St Louis and Vicksburg.

 

Boat traffic is shut down as well.

 

How do you shut down boat traffic on the Mississippi?

 

“Been there. Done that.”

 

The Coast Guard is responsible for inland navigable waterways, and they basically say it’s closed.

NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard issued a waterway restriction to all vessel traffic on the Lower Mississippi River Tuesday near the I-40 bridge in Memphis, Tennessee.

The waterway restriction closes the river to all vessel traffic between mile marker 736 and mile marker 737 on the Lower Mississippi River and was put into place due to a crack discovered by the Arkansas Department of Transportation on the I-40 bridge near the center span.


There are currently 16 vessels with a total of 229 barges in the queue.

“The Coast Guard is currently working with Arkansas Department of Transportation, Tennessee Department of Transportation and river industry stakeholders on this developing situation," said Capt. Ryan Rhodes, captain of the Port of Memphis. "Based on the current information available, we have closed a portion of the Lower Mississippi River out of an abundance of caution. The captain of the port is monitoring the situation and will continue to ensure the safety of the maritime environment and surrounding community.”

The Coast Guard captain of the port determines when to issue a river closure by following a waterways action plan, which provides marine industry, the U.S. Coast Guard, state and local governments with a coordinated plan for facilitating the safe and orderly movement of traffic. Media queries about the waterway restriction should be directed to Lt. Mark Pipkin of Coast Guard Sector Lower Mississippi River at 901-361-0003.​

Coast Guard closes portion of Lower Mississippi River near I-40 bridge

 

True, but Lake Village does have the best Delta tamales.

Coast Guard.

 

Tell 'em boats is socialism.

 

Is that going to further disrupt gas distribution?