Barge Traffic Resumes, Despite I-40 Bridge Closure
Fertilizer on barges is heading up the Mississippi River once again, thanks to a decision by the U.S. Coast Guard to reopen barge traffic underneath the Hernando de Soto Bridge. As of early this week, there were 62 vessels and 1,058 barges in the queue.
The bridge on Interstate 40, linking Arkansas and Tennessee near Memphis, closed last Tuesday after a crack was discovered in a steel beam during a routine, federally mandated inspection that occurs about every two years. The bridge is closed indefinitly.
IFCA has received many calls from our members asking for the status of when barge traffic would resume and how many vessels are backed up. We hope this news will alleviate pressure felt by the fertilizer industry.
The bridge on Interstate 40, linking Arkansas and Tennessee near Memphis, closed last Tuesday after a crack was discovered in a steel beam during a routine, federally mandated inspection that occurs about every two years. The bridge is closed indefinitly.
IFCA has received many calls from our members asking for the status of when barge traffic would resume and how many vessels are backed up. We hope this news will alleviate pressure felt by the fertilizer industry.