Engineering Catastrophes: Season 6, Episode 4

6 - 4: Memphis Bridge of Doom

A routine inspection in 2021 discovered a crack in a steel support beam on the I-40 Mississippi River Bridge (aka the Hernando DeSoto Bridge). The vital crossing was in danger of imminent collapse in Memphis, Tennessee. Experts used the latest science to investigate and uncover why severely compromised load-bearing tension members developed life-threatening weaknesses.