Congressman Cohen Discusses Need for a New I-55 Bridge

Bridge

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), a senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, today questioned expert witnesses on the need to consider the threat of an earthquake to bridges like the I-55 bridge at Memphis in the New Madrid Fault Seismic Zone. The committee hearing considered the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge near Baltimore in March and what will be required to rebuild it. Congressman Cohen also cautioned against a future accident occurring. In his questions, Congressman Cohen first thanked Administrator Shailen Bhatt of the Federal Highway Administration, who visited Memphis on Monday and toured the I-55 bridge that Tennessee’s and Arkansas’s Departments of Transportation are seeking to have replaced.  He also asked witnesses about the adequacy of bridge support protection and the cause of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. See his exchange with the witnesses here.

Besides Administrator Bhatt, witnesses at today’s hearings were:

• Vice Admiral Peter Gautier, Deputy Commandant for Operations, United States Coast Guard;
• Major General William (Butch) H. Graham, Deputy Commanding General, Civil and Emergency Operations, United States Army Corps of Engineers;
• Hon. Jennifer Homendy, Chair, National Transportation Safety Board

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