LOWELL, MASS. - TRC Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRR) has been awarded a construction engineering inspection contract by the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) in support of Phase 9 of the I-40 Mississippi River Bridge seismic retrofit project. TRC has been involved in the project since it began in 1992.

As one of only two crossings of the River in the Memphis area, the I-40 Mississippi River Bridge is a vital transportation, commerce and defense link between Tennessee and Arkansas. It carries 60,000 vehicles daily including much of the nation’s east-west interstate trucking traffic. The Bridge sits along an active fault zone.

“TRC is proud of our long term relationship with the Tennessee and Arkansas Departments of Transportation,” said Chris Vincze, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Our expert engineers are dedicated to improving the safety of the I-40 Bridge and restoring a critical piece of transportation infrastructure that supports both the regional economy and local community.”

The final phase of the project, Phase 9, consists of the seismic retrofit of structures in the Arkansas portion of the Bridge. Under the contract for this work, TRC will oversee the retrofit of an existing P/S I-girder relief bridge consisting of 16 spans, as well as an existing welded plate girder relief bridge consisting of 7 spans. The work will be conducted in a fashion that allows the Bridge’s four lanes of traffic (two in each direction) to remain open. The final construction phase is expected to last through March 2015.

The I-40 Bridge is 3.3 miles long, including the main channel spans, approaches, and ramps. The structure is comprised of 164 spans, 160 piers, and 10 abutments. TRC has provided engineering services for all phases of the project including seismic analysis, retrofit design and retrofit construction.