On Sunday, travelers on I-40 East through West Memphis were subjected to extensive delays, as a large pothole disrupted the flow of traffic, inciting frustration and long waits during the holiday season’s final days. According to a report from WREG, the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) responded to an emergency call around 11:30 AM to attend to a significant road hazard that required the temporary closure of multiple lanes, impacting many returning home from holiday festivities.
The necessary repairs compelled Arkansas Department of Transportation workers to close both the right and center lanes leaving only the far-left open to circumnavigate the obstruction, which as Action News 5 noted, is due to the size of the potholes that made standard asphalt patching methods insufficient for a swift resolution to the problem and the result was a traffic backlog that extended for miles west of the roadwork lasting for approximately nine hours, with congestion remaining severe.
Reports from drivers, as indicated by Action News 5, suggested that many found themselves at a standstill for several hours while repairs were underway near the Mound City overpass. The backup extended about six miles from the site of the roadwork, underscoring the extent of the pothole's impact on eastbound traffic.
Relief came when Arkansas Department of Transportation crews completed their roadwork and reopened all lanes by 9 p.m. However, one lane remained blocked into the night, according to FOX13 Memphis.
