A potentially catastrophic bridge collapse was prevented last week when engineers performing a routine bridge inspection of the Hernando de Soto Bridge that carries I-40 over the Mississippi River between Memphis, TN and West Memphis, AR discovered a significant fracture in one of the primary load-carrying members of the 48-year-old structure. The fracture, near a connection plate in the built-up steel member, had fully severed three sides of the box girder and was about 20 percent thr…
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