Tie Girder Fracture on the I-40 Hernando de Soto Bridge

The 3.3-mile-long Hernando de Soto Bridge joining Memphis, TN to West Memphis, AR on Interstate 40 across the Mississippi River was closed on May 11, 2021 after a routine inspection identified a partially-fractured tension member. The fracture had occurred at a welded plate transition in the upstream tie girder supporting one of two tied-arch truss spans. The six-lane bridge subsequently remained closed to traffic for nearly four months.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Arkansas Department of Transportation assembled a team of consultants and a contractor to inspect and repair the bridge. Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates was retained to perform a forensic investigation of the fracture, which will be the topic of this presentation. Included will be a discussion of the inspection programs that have since been undertaken to ensure the integrity of other bridges constructed from quenched and tempered high-strength steel.