New I-55 bridge planned for Memphis, will replace 'old bridge' to Arkansas

Lucas Finton, Memphis Commercial Appeal
The old bridge on I-55 from Memphis to Arkansas, the main thoroughfare with the Hernando De Soto bridge still closed for construction on Wednesday, June 2, 2021.
The old bridge on I-55 from Memphis to Arkansas, the main thoroughfare with the Hernando De Soto bridge still closed for construction on Wednesday, June 2, 2021.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation Monday released plans to replace the Interstate 55 "Old Bridge," from Memphis to Arkansas.

Rebuilding the bridge is projected to cost $250 million, and is planned to begin construction in 2026.

Funding for the I-55 bridge's reconstruction will be entirely funded by part of the $3.3 billion available in Gov. Bill Lee's Transportation Modernization Act.

In 2021, the I-55 bridge saw increased traffic due to the shuttering of the I-40 bridge after a crack was discovered in a steel beam. Traffic congestion was heavy during the repairs due to the increased use and the 75-year-old I-55 bridge having four lanes instead of the six that the I-40 bridge has.

"The existing bridge serves over 64,000 vehicles per day carrying residents, workers and freight moving between Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi," an excerpt of the plan read. "The proposed project will also add capacity to improve mobility, remove bottlenecks and address traffic flow and operations for local and regional travelers in the tri-state area."

TDOT proposed the bridge be built in partnership with the state of Arkansas and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Details on the new bridge were not included in the plan, including what construction of the new I-55 bridge will mean for river-crossing traffic, where the bridge will be located, or how many lanes the new bridge will have.

The new bridge is not the only project TDOT will launch in Shelby County, with seven other projects planned for the county.

Previously: One year after I-40 bridge shutdown, is Memphis closer to a third bridge?

Those other projects include:

  • $113.4 million for widening Shelby State Route 1, which is estimated to begin construction in 2025;

  • $186.8 million for widening Shelby State Route 4, which is estimated to begin construction in 2024;

  • $85.8 million for widening Shelby State Route 14, which is estimated to begin construction in 2024;

  • $106.2 million for "enhancements" to Shelby State Route 4, which is estimated to begin construction in 2027;

  • $56.5 million for roadway repairs of Shelby I-40, near downtown, which is estimated to begin construction in 2026;

  • $141.7 million for work on the Shelby I-240 interchange at Airways Boulevard, which is estimated to begin construction in 2027;

  • $19.1 million for work on the Shelby I-40 interchange at Airline Road, which is estimated to begin construction in 20217.

Lucas Finton is a criminal justice reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Lucas.Finton@commercialappeal.com, or (901)208-3922, and followed on X, formerly known as Twitter, @LucasFinton.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: TDOT plans construction of new I-55 bridge to Arkansas by 2026

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