MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Here’s a chance for Shelby County area residents to show a little support for Memphis Jim Strickland and his push for a new bridge across the Mississippi River.
Strickland last week penned a letter to Governor Bill Lee asking that a new bridge become a long-term priority for state government. And the mayor could use some help from other politicians, business leaders, and anyone else who agrees it’s time to include another bridge in this region’s transportation needs.
Few of us will forget the headaches caused by the shutdown of the I-40 bridge last year due to a crack discovered in a horizontal beam. The closure lasted nearly three months and disrupted commerce virtually from coast to coast – since Interstate 40 is a major east-west artery in the middle of the country.
The I-40 bridge opened in 1973. And the Memphis Arkansas bridge just south of downtown that carries I-55 across the river, dates to the late 1940s. So I’m sure we all can agree with Strickland, Memphis Regional Chamber officials and others who say a new bridge is not just a luxury – it’s a long term economic necessity.
Yes, it will cost hundreds of millions of dollars, but anything worth having won’t be cheap. And a new bridge is worth it.
So keep those letters coming to the governor’s office. And who knows, perhaps a bridge is in our future.
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