Hernando de Soto Bridge
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| Hernando de Soto Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Hernando de Soto Bridge and the Memphis skyline photographed from the Arkansas side. |
|
| Carries | 6 lanes of I-40 |
| Crosses | Mississippi River |
| Locale | West Memphis, Arkansas and Memphis, Tennessee |
| ID number | 79I00400001 |
| Design | Through arch bridge |
| Longest span | 900 feet (274 m) each |
| Total length | 19,535 feet (5,954 m) |
| Width | 90 feet (27 m) |
| Clearance below | 109 feet (33 m) (varies some due to river level) |
| AADT | 35,000 |
| Opening date | August 2, 1973 |
| Coordinates | Coordinates: |
The Hernando de Soto Bridge is a through arch bridge carrying Interstate 40 across the Mississippi River between West Memphis, Arkansas and Memphis, Tennessee. It is often called the "M Bridge" as the arches resemble the letter M. Memphians also call the bridge the "New Bridge"[citation needed], as it is newer than the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge (carrying Interstate 55) downstream.
The bridge is named for 16th century Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto who explored this stretch of the Mississippi River, and died south of Memphis. His body was believed to have been buried in the Mississippi River after his death (although, according to legend, his body lay at the bottom of Lake Chicot in Arkansas, an oxbow lake of the Mississippi River about 130 miles south of Memphis.)
On August 27, 2007, an inspector discovered that a bridge pier on the approach bridge west of the river had settled overnight, and the bridge was subsequently closed to perform a precautionary inspection. The bridge was reopened later that day. [1]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2008) |
[edit] External links
- Hernando de Soto Bridge in the Structurae database
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