Hernando de Soto Bridge
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| Hernando de Soto Bridge | |
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| Carries | 6 lanes of I-40 |
|---|---|
| Crosses | Mississippi River |
| Locale | West Memphis, Arkansas and Memphis, Tennessee |
| ID number | 79I00400001 |
| Design | Through arch bridge |
| Longest span | 900 feet (274 m) each |
| Total length | 19,535 feet (5,954 m) |
| Width | 90 feet (27 m) |
| Clearance below | 109 feet (33 m) (varies some due to river level) |
| AADT | 35,000 |
| Opening date | August 2, 1973 |
| Coordinates | |
The Hernando de Soto Bridge is a through arch bridge carrying Interstate 40 across the Mississippi River between West Memphis, Arkansas and Memphis, Tennessee. It is often called the "M Bridge" as the arches resemble the letter M, which is fitting for being located at Memphis. Memphians also call the bridge the "New Bridge", as it is newer than the Memphis-Arkansas Bridge (carrying Interstate 55) downstream.
The bridge is named for 16th century Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto who explored this stretch of the Mississippi River, and died south of Memphis. His body was believed to have been buried in the Mississippi River after his death (although, according to legend, his body lay at the bottom of Lake Chicot in Arkansas, an oxbow lake of the Mississippi River about 130 miles south of Memphis.)
[edit] See also
| Crossings of the Mississippi River | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Upstream Caruthersville Bridge   |
Hernando de Soto Bridge |
Downstream Harahan Bridge Union Pacific Railroad |
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