WASHINGTON, USA — Senator John Boozman of Arkansas is urging U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) leaders to support efforts to safely, efficiently and quickly repair the Hernando de Soto I-40 bridge that links Arkansas and Tennessee that has been closed since Tuesday.
The bridge was closed after a crack in a support beam was discovered during an annual inspection.
Boozman, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, urged DOT Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg to cooperate with local and state entities to help make the necessary repairs so the bridge can safely reopen.
While vehicular traffic has been rerouted, transportation along this section of the Mississippi River has been halted indefinitely.
“We’ve actually had to close the bridge. This is a very high trafficked corridor,” said Boozman. “It really is high stakes.”
Boozman pointed to this incident as a real-world example of the need for targeted investment for America’s core infrastructure, including roads and bridges.
Boozman said he supports the proposal authored by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Ranking Member Senator Shelley Moore Capito, which would fund $299 billion for repairing and modernizing highways and bridges.