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Memphis Commercial Appeal A day after the crack was discovered in a support beam, both the Tennessee-Arkansas Hernando de Soto M bridge and the waterway remained closed as officials worked to assess the damage and craft a repair plan. In a mid-day update, Tennessee Department of Transportation chief engineer Paul Degges said he didn t know when the bridge and waterway would be reopened but that repairs could take months rather than weeks. No one seems to know how long the river will be closed to traffic, but the longer the closure lasts, the more economically damaging the crack will be, said Mark Mestemacher, co-owner of St. Louis, Missouri-based Ceres Barge Lines and barge consulting firm Ceres Consulting. A closure that lasts a couple of days could create a backlog of boats at the bridge; a closure of more than a week could begin to be felt more widely, derailing the shipment of corn and beans from the port of New Orleans.

United statesPaul deggesMark mestemacherChris smithLynn muenchGeorge leavellJoe bidenWaterways councilTennessee department of transportationMississippi riverMemphis commercialMighty mississippiTennessee arkansas hernando de sotoTennessee departmentMissouri based ceres barge linesWepfer marine