Hernando Desoto Bridge closed I-40 Memphis

[Hozzie]

Can't we just reroute the Mississippi around the other side of Memphis and call it good.

[Hozzie]

  On 5/12/2021 at 4:42 PM, Erik88 said:

Infrastructure is one of the few things that everyone agrees we desperately need to address but no one can agree how to pay for it. How do you find the money when we're already running a deficit like this? What are we even up to this year, $4 Trillion? More?

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Easy, get rid of all of the "crap" and focus on what's needed.  You know, kind of like a normal person has to do with their own budget.  Novel idea I know.

[deerslayer]

  On 5/12/2021 at 4:42 PM, Erik88 said:

Infrastructure is one of the few things that everyone agrees we desperately need to address but no one can agree how to pay for it. How do you find the money when we're already running a deficit like this? What are we even up to this year, $4 Trillion? More?

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Paying for it is not the issue - the current administration comes out with $2 trillion spending plans like they are chump change.  The problem is that truly needed infrastructure upgrades will be smothered by green new deal type wish lists.  

[TennesseeCamper]

Arkansas RDOT, just did a live update about the bridge. Basically the contract inspector thought the crack in the bridge was so bad he immediately dialed 911 to shut down the traffic.  Supposed to release drone photos of the damage soon.

[gregintenn]

  On 5/12/2021 at 5:36 PM, kentmck said:

Arkansas RDOT, just did a live update about the bridge. Basically the contract inspector thought the crack in the bridge was so bad he immediately dialed 911 to shut down the traffic.  Supposed to release drone photos of the damage soon.

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I’ve seen the photos. It’s bad.

[Chucktshoes]

[Garufa]

 

 

Edited May 12, 2021 by Garufa

[TennesseeCamper]

  On 5/12/2021 at 5:59 PM, Chucktshoes said:

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Looks completely broke all the way through. I reckon that inspector made the right call!

[Chucktshoes]

  On 5/12/2021 at 6:07 PM, Garufa said:

 

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I love this town. 

[No_0ne]

  On 5/12/2021 at 5:59 PM, Chucktshoes said:

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JB Weld will fix that right up ...

[res308]

  On 5/12/2021 at 6:39 PM, No_0ne said:

JB Weld will fix that right up ...

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Yep! I was thinkin some angle iron and JB Weld along with some big hose clamps. Oughtta be back up and running in about a half hour. 

I can see shutting down the road traffic, but it seems that they could leave river traffic alone for the time being. I’m no engineer of course, but I bet the bridge would hold for a long time with no traffic on it. 

[Chucktshoes]

  On 5/12/2021 at 7:57 PM, res308 said:

Yep! I was thinkin some angle iron and JB Weld along with some big hose clamps. Oughtta be back up and running in about a half hour. 

I can see shutting down the road traffic, but it seems that they could leave river traffic alone for the time being. I’m no engineer of course, but I bet the bridge would hold for a long time with no traffic on it. 

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I guarantee that there’s a crackhead in Orange Mound with a stolen tig welder who could have sorted for $50 in about an hour as long as we don’t pay too close attention to osha rules while he works. 

[Grayfox54]

  On 5/12/2021 at 5:59 PM, Chucktshoes said:

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Wish there was something in the pic to give it some scale and a wider view to show exactly where it is. Would also help to know the thickness of the steel. Fairly clean break. Looks repairable to me. How long would vary depending on the actual size of that beam. 

BTW: I'm not seeing rust streaks that would indicate a slowly growing crack breaking over time. That looks like a clean break that happened all at once. And that bothers me. 

Edited May 12, 2021 by Grayfox54

[Garufa]

  On 5/12/2021 at 9:05 PM, Grayfox54 said:

Wish there was something in the pic to give it some scale and a wider view to show exactly where it is. Would also help to know the thickness of the steel. Fairly clean break. Looks repairable to me. How long would vary depending on the actual size of that beam. 

BTW: I'm not seeing rust streaks that would indicate a slowly growing crack breaking over time. That looks like a clean break that happened all at once. And that bothers me. 

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Another view:

 

It's under the middle of the M on the TN side:

 

[Chucktshoes]

[deerslayer]

  On 5/12/2021 at 9:05 PM, Grayfox54 said:

Wish there was something in the pic to give it some scale and a wider view to show exactly where it is. Would also help to know the thickness of the steel. Fairly clean break. Looks repairable to me. How long would vary depending on the actual size of that beam. 

BTW: I'm not seeing rust streaks that would indicate a slowly growing crack breaking over time. That looks like a clean break that happened all at once. And that bothers me. 

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Yeah, looks pretty fresh.  

Edited May 12, 2021 by deerslayer

[Grayfox54]

Thanks Garufa, that gives me a much better idea of the scope of the problem. Its bad. Real bad!  And that is most definitely a clean break. It snapped all at once.  

Just a SWAG, but when was the last time a string of barges hit that bridge? That would be my guess. 

[Ronald_55]

Screw a 2x4 on each side, that will hold it

[Garufa]

  On 5/12/2021 at 9:55 PM, Grayfox54 said:

Thanks Garufa, that gives me a much better idea of the scope of the problem. Its bad. Real bad!  And that is most definitely a clean break. It snapped all at once.  

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I wonder what that cotter pin is holding together (zoom into the picture above the separation)?  Looks like it might be important.

[Alleycat72]

  On 5/12/2021 at 9:05 PM, Grayfox54 said:

Wish there was something in the pic to give it some scale and a wider view to show exactly where it is. Would also help to know the thickness of the steel. Fairly clean break. Looks repairable to me. How long would vary depending on the actual size of that beam. 

BTW: I'm not seeing rust streaks that would indicate a slowly growing crack breaking over time. That looks like a clean break that happened all at once. And that bothers me. 

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On the bridges I've worked around, the rivet heads are the size of a quarter. I've never messed with a bridge for vehicle traffic though. 

Never mind, looks like it's bolted together. 

Edited May 12, 2021 by alleycat72

[Chucktshoes]

  On 5/12/2021 at 10:19 PM, Garufa said:

I wonder what that cotter pin is holding together (zoom into the picture above the separation)?  Looks like it might be important.

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I think that holds a suspension cable. 
 

 

Here is the recording of the 911 call that was made by the inspection crew to the Memphis side. 
 

https://twitter.com/Ripple1026/status/1392576653449170955?s=20

Edited May 12, 2021 by Chucktshoes

[Garufa]

  On 5/12/2021 at 10:33 PM, Chucktshoes said:

I think that holds a suspension cable. 

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I would like to think something more substantial is used.  

[Chucktshoes]

  On 5/12/2021 at 11:29 PM, Garufa said:

I would like to think something more substantial is used.  

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I don’t see what the issue is. The cotter pin isn’t a load bearing item. The giant bolt it’s attached to is the one bearing it. The cotter pins on either side are simply there to keep the big pin from rattling out when I drive across the New Bridge weighing 80k lbs at speeds exceeding the posted limit. 

Edited May 13, 2021 by Chucktshoes

[Chucktshoes]

Also in light of my last post,  before anyone blames me for breaking it. 
 

[No_0ne]

  On 5/12/2021 at 10:19 PM, Garufa said:

I wonder what that cotter pin is holding together (zoom into the picture above the separation)?  Looks like it might be important.

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Cable mount.

 

  On 5/12/2021 at 11:29 PM, Garufa said:

I would like to think something more substantial is used.  

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The pin holding the cable is pretty substantial.  As Chuck pointed out above, there's no load on the cotter pin, it just keeps the pin from moving.  With the tension on the cable, the sideloading on the pin will be virtually nil ...