The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) awarded a construction contract to Dement Construction Company, LLC to complete infrastructure improvements on the I-40/I-240 interchange in Memphis from Sycamore View to the east, White Station to the west, Walnut Grove to the south and Covington Pike to the north. The contract was awarded on Friday, September 20, 2013.
Dement Construction, headquartered in Jackson, TN., submitted the lowest bid of $109,341,000 for bridge work and heavy construction. “This award is the largest single contract TDOT has ever bid,” said TDOT Commissioner John Schroer. “This is a large and complicated project, but it will provide great benefits to Memphis and the entire region. We look forward to getting the work underway and completed on time and on budget.” The project is scheduled to begin this fall and will be complete by the summer of 2017.
Continued growth on the east side of Memphis has created congestion at the I-40/I-240 interchange. The construction of new ramps and the widening of I-240 will improve traffic flow not only on I-240 and I-40, but also on local roads that feed into the interstate system. The project includes a four-level interchange, the first of its kind in West Tennessee. Once completed, the fourth level structure will rise more than 70 feet above Sam Cooper Boulevard, which will be completely rebuilt with an additional lane in each direction.
For more information on TDOT construction project activity visit the TDOT SmartWay web site at www.tn.gov/tdot/tdotsmartway/. Travelers can also dial 511 from any landline or cellular phone for travel information or can follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/TN511 for statewide travel information or www.twitter.com/Memphis511 for traffic information in the Memphis area.
Android and iPhone users can download TDOT’s SmartWay Mobile App to assist them in navigating Tennessee highways. The app provides up-to-the-minute customized traffic information and enables the user to access TDOT’s SmartWay cameras, messages displayed on overhead Dynamic Message Signs, and information on construction related lane closures and incidents on interstates and state routes. The TDOT SmartWay App is free and available for download in the Apple App Store and Play Store for Android.
As always, drivers are reminded to use all motorist information tools wisely and Know Before You Go! by checking travel conditions before leaving for their destination. Drivers should never tweet, text or talk on a cell phone while behind the wheel.