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I-40 Mississippi River Bridge Seismic Retrofit Since 1992, TRC has supported the seismic evaluation and construction retrofit of this bridge linking West Memphis, Arkansas and Memphis, Tennessee. The structure is located at the edge of a major fault zone.
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Tennessee Department of Transportation
Project Location:
Memphis, Tennessee
Project of the Decade | | |
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Project ChallengesThe I-40 Mississippi River Bridge, also known as the Hernando de Soto Bridge, is a steel tied arch bridge carrying Interstate 40 across the Mississippi River between West Memphis, Arkansas and Memphis, Tennessee. This bridge is a vital transportation, commerce, and defense link, being one of only two crossings of the Mississippi River in the Memphis, Tennessee area. The I-40 bridge is situated at the southeastern edge of the New Madrid Seismic Zone, where three of the largest earthquakes in the Central United States occurred in the early 1800’s. Considering the potential for another major earthquake, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) and Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) gave priority status to the seismic evaluation and retrofit of the I-40 Bridge and its approaches.
SolutionTRC was awarded a design contract in 1992 with TDOT to develop plans, specifications and estimates (PS&E) packages for $175 million worth of construction work and has future contracts to complete totaling $80 million of construction work. TRC’s design has been in accordance with the AASHTO-LFD design specifications and the most recent AASHTO LRFD Seismic Design Guidelines (2007), which TRC developed.
In 2000, TRC was selected by TDOT to provide construction engineering and inspection (CEI) services to oversee the retrofit construction from our field office located in Memphis. All construction work has been done while maintaining traffic on this major US highway and continues without a single lost time accident.
Retrofitting the I-40 Bridge significantly enhances public safety and reduces the potential for transportation and economic loss.
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| In this Photo: (starting from left) |
Bob Schamber, Project Manager, TRC
Ed Wasserman, Civil Engineering Director - Structures, Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT)
Dave Zarider, Senior Vice President, TRC
Phil Brand, State Bridge Engineer, Arkansas State Highway & Transportation Department (AHTD)
Fred Stephenson, Resident Engineer, TRC |
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| TRC Honors the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department with a Top Project of the Decade Award |
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