WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. — The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) and the City of West Memphis are working together to ease the flow of traffic across the Interstate 55 Mississippi River Bridge, according to officials.
According to the press release, weather permitting, the following significant traffic pattern changes will begin at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 9 and continue until further notice (see attached map):
· I-55 southbound will be reduced to a single outside lane just before the western I-40/I-55 Interchange.
· I-40 eastbound already narrows to a single lane at the I-40/I-55 Interchange. Exit Ramps at 7th Street and Ingram Blvd. will be closed to I-40 traffic.
· I-40 traffic will continue in the inside lane and I-55 traffic will continue in the outside lane through Ingram Blvd. The middle lane will be closed to separate eastbound traffic between the western and eastern I-40/I-55 Interchanges.
· East of Ingram Blvd. eastbound traffic will transition into two adjacent lanes.
· The I-40/I-55 on-ramp at Ingram Blvd. will be closed.
The plan is to reduce merging points which is anticipated to reduce conflicts and improve traffic flow.
These traffic pattern changes were developed in collaboration with ARDOT, TDOT, the FHWA, and the City of West Memphis.