LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — It's been more than a month since a major crack was discovered on the Hernando Desoto bridge, shutting it down completely.
The Arkansas Department of Transportation said the repairs are moving swiftly.
Phase 1 is now complete. Temporary brackets are in place around the fractured area. The next step is the permanent steel plating.
"Some of the materials are still being fabricated, being made. Some locally, some are not," Dave Parker, with the Arkansas Department of Transportation, said.
Currently, the I-40 bridge is not set to reopen until late July or early August.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation made traffic changes last week to keep cars moving, which included different detours for exits and opening a second lane of traffic on the I-55 bridge.
As for future bridge inspections, ARDOT will use $2 million from their budget to hire an independent consultant to look at the current bridge inspection program and make recommendations on any changes.
U.S. government agencies are checking out the process as well.
"The office of inspector general is looking at things. The federal highway administration is conducting an audit to look at our bridge inspection program. We welcome that," Parker said.
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