MEMPHIS, Tenn. — It’s good to see that the governors of Arkansas and Tennessee are showing an appropriate level of concern about the shutdown of the I-40 bridge that connects the two states over the Mississippi River.
Governors Asa Hutchinson and Bill Lee were in Memphis Tuesday to assure the public that they are taking the bridge closure seriously. But they also gave us a dose of reality - it likely will be months before the span reopens to traffic.
I appreciated their candor, particularly since it flies in the face of that ridiculous statement from Tennessee junior Senator Bill Hagerty last weekend – accusing President Biden of failing to show a sense of urgency in fixing the bridge. In fact, both governors said several federal agencies are providing assistance as the two states work jointly to make the repairs.
So let’s dispense once and for all with the shameless political posturing and concentrate on three things – fixing the bridge, investigating why the crack was not reported earlier, and doing a thorough inspection of all bridges in both states.
One Arkansas inspector who discovered the crack two years ago and did nothing has been fired. But according to the Daily Memphian, the damage apparently has been there since 2016. So the public is entitled to full transparency about the inspection process.
Meanwhile, motorists, particularly truckers, will just have to make the best of a congested situation. And that’s my point of view.