Going through on a Sunday would probably help. That way at least he'd only have freight traffic to contend with, as most of the local city traffic would be absent.
ALERT Memphis bridge closed
- Thread starter catskinner
- Start date
Going through on a Sunday would probably help. That way at least he'd only have freight traffic to contend with, as most of the local city traffic would be absent.
Barry Natchitoches
Has No Life - Lives on TB
You might want to suggest to your son to take the Vicksburg route.
I am hearing local folks saying traffic is beyond horrible anywhere even remotely near downtown or southwest Memphis...
On top of that, you have idiots shooting indiscriminately at drivers on Memphis interstates, and this is happening fairly frequently now.
The shootings are enough to make me advise you to divert your son, Southern Breeze... the bridge situation only makes everything 100 times worse.
I am fortunate enough not to have to drive in that area myself. Guess that is why my car is not riddled with bullet holes yet.
CaryC
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Thanks. I forwarded a text to him, to let him know.
SouthernBreeze
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Well, we knew that Memphis had gotten bad, but GOSH! The last time we drove through Memphis, it was around midnight, and Cary ran every stop light just to get us out of town, quickly. Too many GTR gangs hanging around on every street corner at that hour of the night. Paid a heavy fine, but it was worth it. That was a year ago, coming back from Texas.
Barry Natchitoches
Has No Life - Lives on TB
I just avoid driving in Memphis completely if I can.
The suburbs are bad enough. We are now having frequent shootings out here too.
But inside the city is just about a war. Zone.
I just stay completely out of Memphis.
The suburbs are bad enough. We are now having frequent shootings out here too.
But inside the city is just about a war. Zone.
I just stay completely out of Memphis.
SouthernBreeze
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Yep. That's the advice we give everyone about Memphis. Just stay away.
A rather well done technical discussion of arch bridges and the significance of the separated member of the Hernando de Soto bridge.
New developments include the firing of an inspector. Also new video and photo evidence indicates the structural member was cracked as early as 2016.
Runtime 12:54
------------------
Practical Engineering
Jun 15, 2021
2.03M subscribers
In May of 2021, inspectors on the I-40 Mississippi River Bridge near Memphis, Tennessee discovered a major crack in a structural member. They immediately contacted emergency managers to shut down this key crossing to vehicle traffic above and maritime traffic below. This video provides a summary of the event, including a discussion on arch bridges, fatigue in steel members, and national bridge inspection standards.
Errata:
(1) 8:38 "at minimum, an arm's length away" should be "at maximum, an arm's length away"
(2) 1:14 New Madrid is usually pronounced MA-drid, not ma-DRID.
(3) 4:55 ”It’s hard to understate the severity” should be “overstate”
Practical Engineering is a YouTube channel about infrastructure and the human-made world around us. Hosted, written, and produced by Grady Hillhouse. We have new videos posted regularly, so please subscribe for updates. If you enjoyed the video, hit that ‘like’ button, give us a comment, or watch another of our videos!
What Really Happened at the Hernando de Soto Bridge?
View: https://youtu.be/e8PodEM4Y8g
New developments include the firing of an inspector. Also new video and photo evidence indicates the structural member was cracked as early as 2016.
Runtime 12:54
------------------
Practical Engineering
Jun 15, 2021
2.03M subscribers
In May of 2021, inspectors on the I-40 Mississippi River Bridge near Memphis, Tennessee discovered a major crack in a structural member. They immediately contacted emergency managers to shut down this key crossing to vehicle traffic above and maritime traffic below. This video provides a summary of the event, including a discussion on arch bridges, fatigue in steel members, and national bridge inspection standards.
Errata:
(1) 8:38 "at minimum, an arm's length away" should be "at maximum, an arm's length away"
(2) 1:14 New Madrid is usually pronounced MA-drid, not ma-DRID.
(3) 4:55 ”It’s hard to understate the severity” should be “overstate”
Practical Engineering is a YouTube channel about infrastructure and the human-made world around us. Hosted, written, and produced by Grady Hillhouse. We have new videos posted regularly, so please subscribe for updates. If you enjoyed the video, hit that ‘like’ button, give us a comment, or watch another of our videos!
What Really Happened at the Hernando de Soto Bridge?
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Lone_Hawk
Resident Spook
I'm looking for an update of the situation on the I-40 Bridge. I am going to be making a road trip to St. Paul, MN to pick up a camper then pull it back to NC. I want to avoid the mountains as much as possible, so I was thinking of taking I-55 south until I can pick up I-20.
What is the situation looking like in the Memphis area?
What is the situation looking like in the Memphis area?
medic38572
TB Fanatic
Lone-Hawk give me a minute and I will get you the best directions. You will miss Memphis completely along with Illinois. From NC I-40 to Jackson, TN take 421 to I think 155 then to 55 north to 270 and that will get you away from st louis. 270 to 70 and that takes you across the state of Missouri to kansas take 25 north through the rest of Missouri Iowa South Dakota and even North Dakota You are not to far from the Minnesota Border once you reach South Dakota and there are Multiple roads that head that way east just depends on where your going there. Yes I usually take this route going back to
TN when I go it is fast and more efficient for me. Once you hit 70 you may want to be looking for something to take you more North then 25 .
Lone_Hawk
Resident Spook
I'm not too concerned about the trip up. I'm going to go to Nashville, #1 daughter lives there, then to St. Louis, cut across I-70 to I-35 and go north.
It is the trip back pulling the 24 foot camper. I think I'm going to reverse that but pick up I-55 south to Hayti, take I-155 to Dyersburg, US-412 to Jackson, then US-45 to Tupelo, then I-22 to Birmingham, then I-20 the rest of the way.
Lone_Hawk
Resident Spook
That is good news for Memphis and I-40
If the owner of one of the nation's premier self defense/shooting schools, a retired Memphis cop, decides it is too dangerous to operate his facility in Memphis, that ought to be a clue ...
(Tom Givens, Rangemaster- Tom Givens – Rangemaster – Self-defense and firearms training for the real world )
packyderms_wife
Neither here nor there.
Wow, you're taking him way out of the way, many hours out of the way!
packyderms_wife
Neither here nor there.
From St. Louis hop onto HWY 61 it's four lane all the way to I80 in Iowa now, and the speed limit is 65 mph with very few stops, most drive it at 70 to 75 mph cause there's literally nothing due to it being in a flood plain. On I80 hop on over to I35 and take that up to Minnesota. IIRC Hwy 61 is four lane all the way up to Hwy 20 which is also four lanes, you could take that to I35.
Lone_Hawk
Resident Spook
Actually, I did that route a couple of years ago because Mabel told me to go that way
packyderms_wife
Neither here nor there.
Actually, I did that route a couple of years ago because Mabel told me to go that way
When we were going to Quincy to see my Dad in the VA home there we'd drive it pretty much at 75 mph, there was no one around and the local sheriffs, if you actually saw one, were really not that interested in giving tickets. That said drive the speed limit, wink, wink. You could take I70 over to HWY 63 and that'll pretty much take you up into the Twin Cities, again it's four lane until at least HHY 20 in Iowa.
We like taking those two highways due to the lack of traffic, plenty of bathrooms if one needs to stop frequently, good places to eat along the way that are not fast food, so on and so forth.
Barry Natchitoches
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Much better - and safer - than a route that would take you through Memphis.
Barry Natchitoches
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Maybe, but downtown Memphis is about as safe ad downtown Chicago...
packyderms_wife
Neither here nor there.
Pull out a map, he does not have to drive all the way over to Kansas City, which is not safe by any stretch, to get to Minnesota. He can cut right up the edge of Missouri along the Mississippi River to I80 or HWY 20 and it'd probably be much safer doing so because it's all rural. KC is about eight hours west of Memphis, if not further.
catskinner
Veteran Member
I travel the bridge at least once a week.
Here are my tips.
1. Stay on the interstate, unless you enjoy the sound of gun fire in sketchy neighborhoods.
2. Approaching the bridge to cross into Arkansas...
Once you see the sign for the Crump exit, get in the right lane and stay there until you are in the curve leading up to the bridge. Once in the curve, the big trucks, working through all those gears will give you an opening to switch to the left lane. Take the opportunity. Then when you are off that ramp, merge to the far left lane as soon as possible. Once across the bridge, the right 2 lanes will send you towards St. Louis.
Here are my tips.
1. Stay on the interstate, unless you enjoy the sound of gun fire in sketchy neighborhoods.
2. Approaching the bridge to cross into Arkansas...
Once you see the sign for the Crump exit, get in the right lane and stay there until you are in the curve leading up to the bridge. Once in the curve, the big trucks, working through all those gears will give you an opening to switch to the left lane. Take the opportunity. Then when you are off that ramp, merge to the far left lane as soon as possible. Once across the bridge, the right 2 lanes will send you towards St. Louis.
medic38572
TB Fanatic
I am not taking him any where, but around Memphis. The rest was his decision. Basically I gave him most the route used when going to TN from Idaho.
Lone_Hawk
Resident Spook
And thank you for the info!
medic38572
TB Fanatic
But hey when you get to south dakota if you turn west on 90 your half way there to the place in Idaho.... lol Long long trip
Jackpine Savage
Veteran Member
I keep going north rather than heading west on I80. 380 takes you up through Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, and you join up with I35 near Mason City. It's good four lane road.
Jackpine Savage
Veteran Member
When headed down to FL, I always crossed the Mississippi at Caruthersville, that kept me south of Nashville. I hate big cities.
packyderms_wife
Neither here nor there.
Thank you, I forgot about that route as I seldom drive it, living right off of I35.
ChicagoMan74
ULTRA MAGA
Yikes...you mean I35, thats another 2 hours of driving and 150 miles.
From NC get to I40 thru TN, pick up I24, thru KY into Illinois (this avoids Louisville and Indy as well and all the AHOLES on I65), I57 to Champaign, pick up I74 to Bloomington, pick up I39, then you essentially pick up I90 in Rockford north till St. Paul. 1200 miles if your starting point is around Asheville. Halfway is Effingham, IL...not a bad place to stop if you're splitting it into 2 days there, 2 days back...plenty of hotels there. Seriously...the whole of Illinois is not Chicago and every freeway is not the Dan Ryan. Give me a wave once you get north of I80.
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medic38572
TB Fanatic
There are only a handful of TB2kers that will enter Illinois. Those that live there and those who have to show up there for 1 reason or other. The rest of us drive completely around such states that are run by Communist corrupt governments so we do not have to give them 1 dime, and the fact that 80 percent will be armed in 1 way or another that is completely illegal where you live. I would bet 100$ Lone_Hawk is 1 of the 80 percent.
adgal
Veteran Member
Don’t forget to stop in Metropolis, Illinois and get your photo in the Superman cutout. . I agree, this is a great route, we use it when we drive down to see our kids in Georgia. I’m driving on 39 a couple of times a month- it’s a great road.
Jackpine Savage
Veteran Member
Yep. My carry permits are good pretty much the whole country except for the north east, west coast, and Illinois. So I don't go there. I was also usually driving a truck and pulling a big trailer, Illinois used to have a 55 MPH speed limit for trucks, don't know if that's still the case or not, cause I haven't been there in a good long time.
When I've gone east, like Ohio and PA, it's a beautiful drive through the UP.
catskinner
Veteran Member
That may be awhile. I have a cousin that works at one of the local stations. He said they were told that they have found much more wrong, but they are not allowed to report on it. This is stuff beyond the newest reports. Also they have been told to keep reporting that it will be opened in August. He told me that was a lie, but he doesn't have any idea of the real opening time frame. I doubt anybody does. This is a huge mess that has a negative impact on our lives daily.