inspecting engineer called 9-1-1 and told authorities to shut down the bridge immediately. Traffic across and under the bridge was halted indefinitely while engineers inspected the rest of the bridge for other issues, and analyzed the structure. River traffic under the bridge resumed on May 14. Initial repairs that affixed steel plates on both sides of the affected girder were completed on May 25. The second phase consisted of the installation of additional steel plating and removal of part of the damaged beam. A new inspection of the bridge found "nothing of concern". The eastbound lanes reopened on July 31, 2021, the westbound lanes on August 2, 2021. During the closure, vehicle traffic utilized the nearby Memphis & Arkansas Bridge (I-55) as an alternate route in the Memphis area, as well as the Caruthersville Bridge (I-155) to the north and the Helena Bridge (US 49) to the south as alternates elsewhere in the Mid-South. Investigators received amateur photos taken from the river below as early as 2016 that already showed damage at the same site. And according to the Arkansas Department of Transportation, review of archived drone footage taken during a May 2019 bridge inspection, two years before the damage was discovered, also showed the fracture. The department further found that the mandated hands-on—that is, within arm's length—inspections that should have occurred every two years had not been undertaken. The responsible inspector was subsequently fired. An engineering analysis revealed the fracture was the result of two particularly wide and poorly done weld repairs in the same spot during "fabrication" (construction) that, along with other poor welds elsewhere on the bridge, had been identified and repaired; there were consequently no further concerns. Key findings of the report included the following four points: Gallery See also List of crossings of the Lower Mississippi River References External links Through arch bridges in the United States Landmarks in Tennessee Bridges over the Mississippi River Bridges in Memphis, Tennessee Bridges completed in 1973 Buildings and structures in West Memphis, Arkansas Transportation in Crittenden County, Arkansas Road bridges in Tennessee Road bridges in Arkansas Interstate 40 Bridges on the Interstate Highway System Interstate vehicle bridges in the United States 1973 establishments in Arkansas 1973 establishments in Tennessee Tied arch bridges in the United States