ARKANSAS, USA — The U.S. Department of Transportation is providing nearly $400 million to build a new Interstate 55 bridge connecting Tennessee and Arkansas across the Mississippi River, replacing the existing 75-year-old span, officials said Friday.
In separate news releases, Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Democratic U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis said the Transportation Department informed Congress on Friday that it is investing more than $393 million to build the new bridge.
The existing I-55 bridge was built in 1949 but it remains a vital and heavily traveled artery, with thousands of cars and commercial vehicles crossing it each day. The aging bridge is one of two that connects Memphis with Arkansas, along with the Interstate 40 bridge.
To read more about this story, our content partner Arkansas Business has the full story here.
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