I -40 Hernando Desoto Bridge at Memphis shutdown

[Avalanchez71]

I Drove from Atlanta to Jonesboro AR going through 840 bypassing Nashvegas. And then took US 412 from Jackson to Dyersburg to Caruthersville, and then to Blytheville. on The Friday before Memorial day. The traffic was light on 412 and it only cost me about 40 minutes of time because I refuse to take that IH 55 Bridge over the Mississippi. It needs to be rebuilt. One medium sized earthquake in that area would F traffic up in the worse way. IMO 269 or 69 needs to be built over the Mississippi. This should be mandated even if there is a 50 cent toll... Both Tennesses and Arkansas, need to start tolling the out of state travelers who go through there en route to Texas and Florida, for state infrastructure reasons!

A toll in Tennessee now that's rich.  I think they shut down the Tennessee Turnpike Commission which only existed on paper years ago.  I believe the only toll is the Ferry across the Tennessee River.  That's actually not a toll but a user fee.

[froggie]

Newsflash, Avalanchez:  tolls ARE user fees.  You only pay the toll if you use the facility.

[Avalanchez71]

Newsflash, Avalanchez:  tolls ARE user fees.  You only pay the toll if you use the facility.

If there is a free alternative then I can see it as a user fee.  If there is not a free alternative then it is an extortion fee.

[US 89]

Newsflash, Avalanchez:  tolls ARE user fees.  You only pay the toll if you use the facility.

If there is a free alternative then I can see it as a user fee.  If there is not a free alternative then it is an extortion fee.

Just about the only toll roads in the US without any sort of free alternative are bridges. Big bridges are expensive. Given your general lack of desire to spend taxpayer money on upgrading/widening/new construction, how else are we supposed to be able to build and maintain those?

[kalvado]

I Drove from Atlanta to Jonesboro AR going through 840 bypassing Nashvegas. And then took US 412 from Jackson to Dyersburg to Caruthersville, and then to Blytheville. on The Friday before Memorial day. The traffic was light on 412 and it only cost me about 40 minutes of time because I refuse to take that IH 55 Bridge over the Mississippi. It needs to be rebuilt. One medium sized earthquake in that area would F traffic up in the worse way. IMO 269 or 69 needs to be built over the Mississippi. This should be mandated even if there is a 50 cent toll... Both Tennesses and Arkansas, need to start tolling the out of state travelers who go through there en route to Texas and Florida, for state infrastructure reasons!

50 cents toll is not much these days.
Numbers below are for the new Tappan  Zee bridge in NY, but things should be similar
100k vehicles a day = 36 M vehicles a year. At 50cents per vehicle, that would be $18M annually
With $5B construction tag,  it would take 278 years to pay it off.
Or, in other words, that will not cover interest payment even at low rates.

Some of those vehicles are trucks, paying much more than cars - but still, things are not close to breaking even. Even before collection and maintenance costs are factored in
Make the toll $5-10, and now things would look better - but the commute across the bridge becomes pretty pricey...

[sprjus4]

Newsflash, Avalanchez:  tolls ARE user fees.  You only pay the toll if you use the facility.

If there is a free alternative then I can see it as a user fee.  If there is not a free alternative then it is an extortion fee.

Just about the only toll roads in the US without any sort of free alternative are bridges. Big bridges are expensive. Given your general lack of desire to spend taxpayer money on upgrading/widening/new construction, how else are we supposed to be able to build and maintain those?

Mind you, this is also the same person in opposition to any increased spending / gas taxes.

[ixnay]

Chiming in before Alps does... Aren't we getting into fictional territory with this new Memphis bridge idea?

ixnay

[US71]

Chiming in before Alps does... Aren't we getting into fictional territory with this new Memphis bridge idea?

ixnay

Not entirely,

[MikeTheActuary]

This may be paywalled, but... https://dailymemphian.com/section/business/article/22417/hernando-desoto-bridge-signs-could-be-clearer

Local news article about inadequate signage about the detour.  Also, apparently this coming weekend they're going to try to convert the southbound-southbound ramp to two lanes

[MikeTheActuary]

Mentioned in the story linked in my prior post, TDOT has an animated YouTube short describing the repair plans:

https://youtu.be/9QprIzj45n4

[kalvado]

Mentioned in the story linked in my prior post, TDOT has an animated YouTube short describing the repair plans:

https://youtu.be/9QprIzj45n4

.
there is also a gallery towards the bottom of a page:
https://www.ardot.gov/divisions/public-information/40-ms-river-bridge/
Temporary plates are already being installed.

[webny99]

Wow, the traffic approaching the I-55 bridge has reached a new level of craziness. I-55 southbound is backed up nearly to Clarkedale, I-40 eastbound to Lehi. This is unbelievably even worse than last week when the bridge was closed for a few hours.

[Avalanchez71]

Wow, the traffic approaching the I-55 bridge has reached a new level of craziness. I-55 southbound is backed up nearly to Clarkedale, I-40 eastbound to Lehi. This is unbelievably even worse than last week when the bridge was closed for a few hours.

What does US 70 look like?  Is it impossible to get on I-55 in West Memphis? 

[Echostatic]

3PM on a thursday and it's looking like this...

[RoadWarrior56]

I think if I were facing that kind of congestion as shown in the congestion map, as I was approaching either end of the traffic backup leading to the bridge.  I would just stop somewhere for the night and get up at 3 am, or just turn around and drive back to either Helena or Dyersburg/Hayti and cross there, depending on my final destination.

[kalvado]

I think if I were facing that kind of congestion as shown in the congestion map, as I was approaching either end of the traffic backup leading to the bridge.  I would just stop somewhere for the night and get up at 3 am, or just turn around and drive back to either Helena or Dyersburg/Hayti and cross there, depending on my final destination.

Someone has to take traffic screenshot at 3 am.
My bet is that backup is somewhat shorter at that time.

[bwana39]

3PM on a thursday and it's looking like this...

I-20 especially eastbound between Terrell and Longview will back up like that when they close one lane for maintenance. 

Ironically, US-80 is not that far away...

[webny99]

Wow, the traffic approaching the I-55 bridge has reached a new level of craziness. I-55 southbound is backed up nearly to Clarkedale, I-40 eastbound to Lehi. This is unbelievably even worse than last week when the bridge was closed for a few hours.

What does US 70 look like?  Is it impossible to get on I-55 in West Memphis?

It's backed up too, just not as bad, as you can see from Echostatic's screenshot. I'm not sure what's open/closed as far as entrance ramps... but at least some of the entrances are still open judging from the congestion on US 70 and the service road.

[debragga]

I think if I were facing that kind of congestion as shown in the congestion map, as I was approaching either end of the traffic backup leading to the bridge.  I would just stop somewhere for the night and get up at 3 am, or just turn around and drive back to either Helena or Dyersburg/Hayti and cross there, depending on my final destination.

Someone has to take traffic screenshot at 3 am.
My bet is that backup is somewhat shorter at that time.

Every time I've looked at the traffic late at night, there's never been any congestion at all, going either direction. I never took a screenshot though, I should do that next time.

[kalvado]

I think if I were facing that kind of congestion as shown in the congestion map, as I was approaching either end of the traffic backup leading to the bridge.  I would just stop somewhere for the night and get up at 3 am, or just turn around and drive back to either Helena or Dyersburg/Hayti and cross there, depending on my final destination.

Someone has to take traffic screenshot at 3 am.
My bet is that backup is somewhat shorter at that time.

Every time I've looked at the traffic late at night, there's never been any congestion at all, going either direction. I never took a screenshot though, I should do that next time.

There was a significant backup at 7 AM EDT (6 AM Memphis), though.

[sparker]

I think if I were facing that kind of congestion as shown in the congestion map, as I was approaching either end of the traffic backup leading to the bridge.  I would just stop somewhere for the night and get up at 3 am, or just turn around and drive back to either Helena or Dyersburg/Hayti and cross there, depending on my final destination.

Someone has to take traffic screenshot at 3 am.
My bet is that backup is somewhat shorter at that time.

Every time I've looked at the traffic late at night, there's never been any congestion at all, going either direction. I never took a screenshot though, I should do that next time.

There was a significant backup at 7 AM EDT (6 AM Memphis), though.

That would most likely be due to commuters adjusting their schedules for the additional time required to get across the I-55 bridge; getting out of the house an hour or so ahead of "normal" time for doing so.  Such rescheduling becomes "built in" to commute plans in regions where there is historical and consistent congestion.

[Scott5114]

Nothing showing congested at 2:00 am on a Friday night/Saturday morning:

[Avalanchez71]

Do you think that after the DeSoto Bridge is repaired that traffic will flow more evenly across both bridges?  Will some folks go look I didn't realize there was another convenient crossing?

[rte66man]

Newsflash, Avalanchez:  tolls ARE user fees.  You only pay the toll if you use the facility.

If there is a free alternative then I can see it as a user fee.  If there is not a free alternative then it is an extortion fee.

Just about the only toll roads in the US without any sort of free alternative are bridges. Big bridges are expensive. Given your general lack of desire to spend taxpayer money on upgrading/widening/new construction, how else are we supposed to be able to build and maintain those?

Only one of Oklahoma's turnpikes doesn't have a free alternative (Indian Nation). Turner and Will Rogers have OK66, Cherokee has US412 Scenic, Cimarron has US64, Muskogee also has US64, and the H.E. Bailey has US277. All 3 urban pikes have local street choices.

[kalvado]

Do you think that after the DeSoto Bridge is repaired that traffic will flow more evenly across both bridges?  Will some folks go look I didn't realize there was another convenient crossing?

according to TN traffic counts for 1985- 2018, I-55 and I-40 bridges had about equal traffic counts till 2013.
In 2014 things suddenly change to 35-40% I-40  - 60-65% I-55
I wonder why...