I-40 bridge at Memphis closed

gearhead · 05-13-2021, 05:17 AM

Inspection found a crack in a beam:
https://wreg.com/news/thousands-of-d...VPlBx4gyPpfD3c

notanlines · 05-13-2021, 07:07 AM

Even the river traffic has been halted! The old bridge (I-55) is carrying the load right now. It'll probably take more than a few pop-rivets to repair.
Our numb-nutted news reporter this AM reported that it would take a year to replace the bridge.
Lord have mercy, just the environmental studies, court battles with the Indians up and down-stream, snail darter protectors, catfish guardians, barge operators and the like would take five years. I don't know where they get their information.
This I-40 bridge took four complete years from footings to finishes.

**JRTJH** · 05-13-2021, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by notanlines

Even the river traffic has been halted! The old bridge (I-55) is carrying the load right now. It'll probably take more than a few pop-rivets to repair.
Our numb-nutted news reporter this AM reported that it would take a year to replace the bridge.
Lord have mercy, just the environmental studies, court battles with the Indians up and down-stream, snail darter protectors, catfish guardians, barge operators and the like would take five years. I don't know where they get their information.
This I-40 bridge took four complete years from footings to finishes.

Just like the 3 blind men who "examined an elephant"...

The first felt his side, declared elephants are flat like billboards
The second felt his tail and exclaimed that elephants are like snakes, long and skinny
The third felt the ear and said, no, elephants are more like thin leaves...

As the three blind men sat around arguing about the appearance of an elephant, the elephant walked away and as they stood there, discussing what elephants look like, they lost all ability to re-evaluate because the elephant disappeared.....

Sort of like "build a replacement in 1 year"... now to find out how the other 2 "blind reporters" described their elephant.....

RickV · 05-13-2021, 08:11 AM

We will be going to Tom Sawyers for three nights on Monday on our way west coming from the east on I-55 hopefully the traffic won't be nightmare.

Javi · 05-13-2021, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Just like the 3 blind men who "examined an elephant"...

The first felt his side, declared elephants are flat like billboards
The second felt his tail and exclaimed that elephants are like snakes, long and skinny
The third felt the ear and said, no, elephants are more like thin leaves...

As the three blind men sat around arguing about the appearance of an elephant, the elephant walked away and as they stood there, discussing what elephants look like, they lost all ability to re-evaluate because the elephant disappeared.....

Sort of like "build a replacement in 1 year"... now to find out how the other 2 "blind reporters" described their elephant.....

They won't source the necessary steel in a year, much less building the bridge.

tdcolby · 05-13-2021, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickV

We will be going to Tom Sawyers for three nights on Monday on our way west coming from the east on I-55 hopefully the traffic won't be nightmare.

A fuel & water stop before you get there would be very prudent. Safe travels RickV

**JRTJH** · 05-13-2021, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdcolby

A fuel & water stop before you get there would be very prudent. Safe travels RickV

Great suggestion... Not much is more "puckering" than seeing the "low fuel" light on the dash when stuck in a 15 mile line of trucks that have formed a "parking lot on the interstate and there's no place to get off to refuel and it's 15 miles of "parking lot ahead before you get to the bridge"....

RickV · 05-13-2021, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdcolby

A fuel & water stop before you get there would be very prudent. Safe travels RickV

Sounds like a plan. One good thing is my dually has a 48 gallon tank. It is great until you fill it up if you know what I mean.

Javi · 05-13-2021, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickV

Sounds like a plan. One good thing is my dually has a 48 gallon tank. It is great until you fill it up if you know what I mean.

Now you need a 60 gallon RDS in the bed...

I love mine, but I filled it Tuesday and it was $156.00 for just the RDS tank..
I wouldn't even mind that so much but they cut the pump off at $75.00

RickV · 05-13-2021, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Javi

Now you need a 60 gallon RDS in the bed...

I love mine, but I filled it Tuesday and it was $156.00 for just the RDS tank..
I wouldn't even mind that so much but they cut the pump off at $75.00

There is a Pure Station in town that has the great diesel prices but, they do that same $75 BS. It used to be you could go in give em the card and you could pump as much as you wanted. Last time I was there the clerk wouldn't do that. So I got in my truck and went to the Shell station a mile down the road they said we don't need your card we'll turn on the pump and just come in and pay when your done. We rarely travel more the 300-350 miles in a day so I'd rather have more space in the bed.

jasin1 · 05-13-2021, 10:05 AM

“Tis but a scratch”

Javi · 05-13-2021, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickV

There is a Pure Station in town that has the great diesel prices but, they do that same $75 BS. It used to be you could go in give em the card and you could pump as much as you wanted. Last time I was there the clerk wouldn't do that. So I got in my truck and went to the Shell station a mile down the road they said we don't need your card we'll turn on the pump and just come in and pay when your done. We rarely travel more the 300-350 miles in a day so I'd rather have more space in the bed.

Yep, that additional 11 gallons you got would make the difference... I have a 37 gallon OEM tank and even running to Rockport from Waco (290 miles) I'm on fumes when I get there without the RDS.. especially with a south wind..

RickV · 05-13-2021, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Javi

Yep, that additional 11 gallons you got would make the difference... I have a 37 gallon OEM tank and even running to Rockport from Waco (290 miles) I'm on fumes when I get there without the RDS.. especially with a south wind..

Had the same problem with my old Duramax Dually had I think a 34 gallon tank. I'd usually have to make a fuel stop on a travel day. I am from the old school of never run it below 1/4 of a tank. I am not sure what kinda MPG I will get with this new Truck/5ver combo. I have only pulled it home from the dealer and didn't top off beforehand and we took it out for a short trip of about 90 miles and I got 10.9 but there was a lot of stop and goes. Hopefully it does better on long Interstate runs.

gearhead · 05-13-2021, 11:53 AM

Dang, Stevie Wonder could see that crack. Didn't even need to spray any dye penetrant on it.
I'm thinking find a out of work welder and scab on some plate on both sides of it. Paint it and call it good.
You know some brother in law of a politician will make a fortune on this.
Is it on the Arkansas side or the Tennessee side?
Slick Willie and Hilliary could take care of it.

Javi · 05-13-2021, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickV

Had the same problem with my old Duramax Dually had I think a 34 gallon tank. I'd usually have to make a fuel stop on a travel day. I am from the old school of never run it below 1/4 of a tank. I am not sure what kinda MPG I will get with this new Truck/5ver combo. I have only pulled it home from the dealer and didn't top off beforehand and we took it out for a short trip of about 90 miles and I got 10.9 but there was a lot of stop and goes. Hopefully it does better on long Interstate runs.

My reason for getting the RDS was runs up north into the Texas panhandle where fuel stations are few and FAR between.. Waco to Caprock Canyon SP is 300 miles give or take.. Couldn't do it on a single tank, but by the time I had burned enough fuel to make it worth stopping we were already beyond civilization...

Thing is... even though I spend a couple of hundred to fill up... I drive the same miles ans spend the same money... just don't fill up as often

Sarge2 · 05-13-2021, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasin1

“Tis but a scratch”

If that was a box tube frame rail, I'd cut it back, sleeve it, fish plate it, a few plug welds and weld the outer edges all around...Bob's your uncle!

but I'm sure they need to xray surrounding areas and replace the entire girder from rivets to rivets.....and all the other DOT specific stuff that is required including checking both sides for other possible cracks...

RickV · 05-13-2021, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Javi

My reason for getting the RDS was runs up north into the Texas panhandle where fuel stations are few and FAR between.. Waco to Caprock Canyon SP is 300 miles give or take.. Couldn't do it on a single tank, but by the time I had burned enough fuel to make it worth stopping we were already beyond civilization...

Thing is... even though I spend a couple of hundred to fill up... I drive the same miles ans spend the same money... just don't fill up as often

I had thought about doing the same thing with the Duramax just never got around to it.

. I have a nephew who used to haul cars all over the country with a 2013 Ram Dually, he had a in bed tank forget how big but he did it to save money because from one state to the next there could be as much as $0.50 a gallon difference.

rhagfo · 05-13-2021, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasin1

“Tis but a scratch”

Yep, going to take a bit to repair that little scratch!

That is a major fracture that should had some signs on the last inspection, it appears to be totally fractured!

rhagfo · 05-13-2021, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarge2

If that was a box tube frame rail, I'd cut it back, sleeve it, fish plate it, a few plug welds and weld the outer edges all around...Bob's your uncle!

but I'm sure they need to xray surrounding areas and replace the entire girder from rivets to rivets.....and all the other DOT specific stuff that is required including checking both sides for other possible cracks...

That member should be in tension as part of the bridge structure, tied arch.
Part of the repair will need to address how much the tube has separated, and as mentioned before, what caused the failure besides age.

It would be interesting to see how they draw the two half's back together.

**sourdough** · 05-13-2021, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhagfo

That member should be in tension as part of the bridge structure, tied arch.
Part of the repair will need to address how much the tube has separated, and as mentioned before, what caused the failure besides age.

It would be interesting to see how they draw the two half's back together.

LOTS of tax dollars!!

Especially if they use the labor rule that TXDOT uses as I once phrased to one of their managers; the 80/20 rule; 1 works and 4 watch. Pretty consistent rule around here.

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