MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Right now, drivers on the Hernando de Soto bridge over the Mississippi River have no doubt noticed the orange cones are out again.
If you drive over the bridge, you'll have to work around the work cones while bridge inspectors do their job. Traffic will be down to one lane either eastbound or westbound until mid-March.
THE QUESTIONS:
- Did something unexpected prompt ARDOT to conduct the current inspections now underway?
- Has ARDOT stepped up its inspection process since the closure last summer?
THE SOURCE:
THE ANSWER:
WHAT WE FOUND:
There's nothing to worry about. ARDOT said nothing prompted the inspection now underway.
"Nothing prompted this. There's no issue or anything," Parker said. "This is just, as you say, more attention on that bridge and rightfully so."
Parker said what's going on now is just the beginning. There will be ultrasonic testing and other hands on-inspection in June, and a fracture inspection as well. All will either be conducted by the state or private contractors.
"We're just going to be relying on consultants more, H&TB in this case, to do even more inspections throughout the year of the bridge. Not just the area that was impacted last summer, but the entire bridge because that bridge spans a little over three miles," Parker explained. "It takes a while to inspect the whole thing."
We can verify that yes, ARDOT has stepped up the inspection process, but only to give the bridge some tender loving care since it's such a crucial piece of our infrastructure.
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