Fractured beam forces closure of crucial Mississippi River bridge

Fractured beam forces closure of crucial Mississippi River bridge Authorities have shut down the heavily traveled Hernando de Soto Bridge over the Mississippi River indefinitely to repair a break in a critical beam. An inspector who spotted the crack immediately called 911, saying, "We need to get people off the bridge immediately!" The Interstate 40 bridge runs between Memphis, Tennessee, and Arkansas. More than 35,000 vehicles cross it daily, a third of it commercial traffic. The fracture also forced a halt to Mississippi barge traffic. The disruption could create significant supply-chain problems. "Memphis is really a nerve center of this country from a supply chain perspective," said William B. Dunavant III, CEO, and president of logistics company Dunavant Enterprises. The shutdown came as President Biden and Republicans discuss competing proposals to fix the nation's aging infrastructure. [The New York Times]