Nashville, Tennessee – Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation and the State of Arkansas, announced plans to replace the I-55 bridge over the Mississippi River, marking the largest transportation investment in Tennessee’s history.
The U.S. Department of Transportation today notified Congress of a groundbreaking federal investment of approximately $400 million that will cover half the cost of replacing the I-55 Bridge over the Mississippi River, also known as the Mississippi River Bridge. American River CrossingThis investment marks an important step towards improving regional and national connectivity and security.
“This unprecedented investment in Memphis will be the largest transportation investment in Tennessee’s history and will be transformative for our infrastructure.” Governor Bill Lee said: “The new I-55 bridge will not only enhance safety and efficiency, but it will also facilitate freight movement and improve regional accessibility, improving multimodal connectivity and strengthening economic vitality. We thank our federal and state of Arkansas partners, including Federal Highway Administrator Butt, Governor Sanders and his team, Lt. Governor Erie and the TDOT team, and the Memphis region, for their work on this project.”
In addition to an investment of approximately $400 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Transportation Modernization Actand the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) are each contributing up to $250 million. These investments demonstrate a collaborative effort to fund this bridge replacement and meet the region’s infrastructure needs.
Critical to the nation’s commerce, the I-55 Bridge is set to undergo a comprehensive rehabilitation aimed at increasing capacity, improving safety standards, ensuring the route’s durability and maintaining optimal operating conditions. The existing bridge has served travelers for 75 years since its construction, but because it lies on the New Madrid Fault Line, it will be replaced with a much larger structure designed to meet modern seismic standards.
By 2050, the state-of-the-art I-55 bridge is expected to accommodate approximately 64,000 vehicles per day, a significant increase from the current 48,000, benefiting residents, workers and businesses in Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi in one of the busiest freight corridors in the U.S. The project aims to reduce traffic congestion, lower accident rates, optimize traffic flow and strengthen regional and local transportation networks.
“This historic project is four times larger than anything we’ve ever built before. This partnership between the state and federal governments underscores our bipartisan commitment to delivering innovative infrastructure solutions that support growth and economic prosperity.” Said Tennessee Lieutenant Governor and Transportation Secretary Butch Eley; “This groundbreaking investment would not have been possible without the bold leadership of Governor Lee and the Tennessee Legislature, and their historic allocation of $3 billion in General Fund investments that enabled TDOT to leverage federal and comparable state funding. This investment also would not have been possible without the extraordinary support of Tennessee’s congressional delegation.”
For planning purposes, an event is being held in Memphis where more information will be provided; details will be announced soon.
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