The new I-55 bridge spanning the Mississippi River has been named Kings’ Crossing. This bridge will provide increased capacity for I-55 over the existing structure, boosting traffic flow and reducing delays for drivers.
The new name has been adopted by the Tennessee General Assembly and the Arkansas Highway Commission. This honours three transformative figures known as “Kings”: Dr Martin Luther King, Jr; BB King; and Elvis Presley. Linking Arkansas with Tennessee, the project is being managed jointly by the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) and the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT).
Costing $800 million to build, the new bridge will benefit from improved shoulders and more traffic lanes, while it will also meet the latest seismic standards. Both TDOT and ARDOT have provided $200 million apiece for the bridge. The US Department of Transportation meanwhile has provided a federal grant of $393.75 million under the Bridge Investment Program in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The design of the bridge is being handled by Parsons Transportation Group and construction is being handled by Kiewit Infrastructure South.
Amongst the benefits of the new bridge will be reduced future maintenance costs, better local and regional freight movement, improved multimodal connectivity (including non-motorised access) with the Big River Crossing and a boost to economic activity according to TDOT.
The 1.6km Memphis-Arkansas Bridge opened in December 1949 and was originally part of the US 40 corridor. It replaced narrow traffic lanes on the Harahan Bridge, constructed in 1916. The Memphis-Arkansas Bridge carries I-55 across the Mississippi River and is the southernmost of the bridges in the Memphis area. The existing bridge is being replaced to boost capacity and safety.
