Tennesseans are looking at a potential new horizon in their daily commutes as the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) presents its proposal for a replacement of the aging I-55 bridge. In a bid to gather public opinion and feedback, the Tennessee Department of Transportation has arranged two public information meetings later this month. The focus of these meetings will be to discuss the conceptual layouts for the new America’s River Crossing, touted to improve connectivity over the Mississippi River, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

The first meeting is scheduled for April 18, 2024, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Central Station Hotel in the Amtrak Memphis Station Upper Parking Lot, located at 545 South Main St, Memphis, TN 38103. Interested locals can take this opportunity to directly engage with the project team and pose any questions they may have, concerning the big project, without having to sit through a formal presentation.

The subsequent gathering is set to take place a week later, on April 25, 2024, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Eugene Woods Civic Center. Found at 212 West Polk Ave, in West Memphis, AR, this session aims to accommodate those who could not make it to the first or who have further inquiries. TDOT’s strategy envisions an open house format welcoming a broad spectrum of community members, from daily commuters to business owners, all of whom stand to be impacted by the new bridge.

Details concerning the meeting, as well as TDOT's intentions with America’s River Crossing, can be found on their website. The project's webpage provides interested parties with the necessary information to attend and participate in this community-focused initiative. TDOT stresses the importance of public engagement and views these meetings as an essential component in the decision-making process, ensuring that the voices of the people echo in the architecture of our shared infrastructure.