Ninth District Congressman Steve Cohen (D-Memphis), a senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, announced Friday that the Tennessee and Arkansas Departments of Transportation were successful in securing $393,750,000 for a new Interstate 55 Bridge over the Mississippi River at Memphis to be known as America’s River Crossing.
Cohen has worked with the Biden-Harris Administration to secure funding for this project, inviting Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to Memphis when the Hernando DeSoto Bridge was out of commission in May of 2021 to see how critical the Mid-South transportation corridor is to interstate commerce. Cohen also joined Administrator Shailen Bhatt of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) during his trip to Memphis in May to talk about the need to replace the I-55 Bridge and his concerns that it would be vulnerable to serious damage in an earthquake and is far out of date.
In addition to writing a letter of support, Cohen has discussed the regional and national significance of this project in Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearings, most recently with Buttigieg on June 28. See his recent committee hearing exchanges with Buttigieg here and with Bhatt in May here.
Cohen was the only member of the current Tennessee and Arkansas Congressional delegations to vote for the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the source of major funding for the project.
Cohen made the following statement:
“I’m proud to have worked with the President, the U.S. Department of Transportation, as well as the outstanding team in Memphis and the governor’s office in successfully getting this extremely large and necessary grant for the construction of the new bridge. As President Biden would say, ‘This is a big … deal!’ And it sure is: Probably the biggest investment made in Memphis by the federal government ever.
“I was proud to vote for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that created this Bridge Program and allow these funds to be available for Memphis. Mine was the only vote for the bill in either the Tennessee or the Arkansas Congressional delegations. We are two red states. This shows how President Biden works for the best interest of the country. It is important to America and not politically good for a red or a blue state. It’s the United States of America and that’s what this bridge is for. Transportation across America creates jobs and improves our economy — America’s River Crossing.”
Memphis Mayor Paul Young made the following statement:
“This historic investment in Memphis will help further connect our community with the region and the world. Memphis’ prominence as a logistics hub is made stronger by the investment in this key piece of infrastructure and we are honored by the grant.”
Greater Memphis Chamber President and CEO Ted Townsend made the following statement:
“For over two decades, the Greater Memphis Chamber has led local efforts to ensure a new bridge would be built further solidifying Memphis as a global logistics leader. Over those 20 years, Congressman Steve Cohen has remained a constant advocate with us. We want to appreciate the leadership of the Tennessee Department of Transportation for helping to initiate and convene this most recent effort, the Mayor’s office — both Jim Strickland and Paul Young — for being local advocates, and the Chamber’s Transportation Committee for being persistent and never taking their eye off of the ball.”
The Tennessee and Arkansas Departments of Transportation submitted a joint application through the Bridge Investment Program (BIP) Large Bridge Projects Program. The Federal Highway Administration announced today that the project will move forward.
