Transportation in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee has developed into a major Mid-American commercial and transportation hub because of its location on the Mississippi River and a convergence of numerous rail and highway links. Four rail and highway bridges cross the Mississippi River at Memphis. In addition, Memphis International Airport has become the world's largest airfreight terminal.
Travel and shipment of freight are facilitated by two major Interstate highways, I-40 and I-55, that intersect at Memphis. I-240 is a highway spur that carries traffic around the city. A large volume of railroad freight traffic moves through Memphis, thanks to two Mississippi River railroad crossings and the convergence at Memphis of east–west with north–south rail routes. In addition, Memphis is the second busiest cargo port on the Mississippi River.
Local public transportation in the Memphis area is provided by the Memphis Area Transit Authority.
Highways
Interstates
Interstate 40 (I-40), its spur highway I-240 and I-55 are the main freeways in the Memphis area. I-40 and I-55 (along with rail lines) cross the Mississippi at Memphis from the state of Arkansas.
Future I-69 is planned for the Memphis area.
U.S. Highways
Memphis is served by seven primary
- SR 3 as Elvis Presley Boulevard. The road changes names to Bellevue Boulevard before meeting Union Avenue. US 51 continues along Union Avenue to Danny Thomas Boulevard, which eventually changes into Thomas Street. The route then heads north towards Millington.
- US 61 enters the city from the south along with SR 14 as Third Street. The highway travels to E.H. Crump Boulevard, turning west and eventually crossing the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge.
- US 64 enters with Interstate 55 (I-55) on the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge, traveling along various streets until eventually heading east from the city along Stage Road towards Somerville.
- US 70 and US 79 travel concurrently in the entirety of the city, traveling from the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge along various streets until eventually meeting Summer Avenue. The two highways continue to the northeast, paralleling I-40 towards Brownsville.
- US 72 travels through Memphis along Poplar Avenue, one of the city's main roads. It leaves the city at the city limits of Germantown.
- US 78 leaves the city traveling to the southeast. The west end of US 78 begins in Memphis on Linden Avenue at the intersection of 2nd Street. As it leaves Memphis, US 78 follows Lamar Avenue, historically known as Pigeon Roost Road for the nestings of passenger pigeons formerly in the vicinity.[1]
Railroad
A large volume of railroad freight traffic moves through Memphis, thanks to two Mississippi River railroad crossings and the convergence of east–west rail routes with north–south routes.
Memphis had two major rail passenger stations,
City of New Orleans
Central Station serves Amtrak's City of New Orleans route between Chicago and New Orleans.
Amtrak Train 59, the southbound City of New Orleans, is scheduled to depart Memphis at 6:50am daily with service to Greenwood, Yazoo City, Jackson, Hazlehurst, Brookhaven, McComb, Hammond, and New Orleans.
Amtrak Train 58, the northbound City of New Orleans, is scheduled to depart Memphis at 10:40pm daily with service to Newbern-Dyersburg, Fulton,
Freight
Five Class I railroads operate in Memphis: Union Pacific (UP), Norfolk Southern (NS), Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF), CSX Transportation (CSXT), and Canadian National (CN). Short-line railroad RJ Corman also owns track branching off of BNSF's Memphis Intermodal Facility. Memphis Intermodal Facility - Tennessee Yard is one of ten freight rail facilities located in Memphis. The others are Leewood Yard (CSXT), Sargent Yard (UP), Forrest Yard (NS), Yale Yard (BNSF), Harrison (Johnson) Yard (CN), CN supply chain solutions, Port of Memphis (CN), and Intermodal Gateway (CN, CSXT). Of these facilities, the only ones capable of loading and unloading containers are Forrest Yard, Intermodal Gateway, and Memphis Intermodal Facility.[4]
Public transportation
Local transit
The
MATA also operates a heritage trolley system in Downtown Memphis with 24 stations along three lines. The trolley system is in the process of expanding into a regional system.
There is also a monorail known as the Memphis Suspension Railway, which connects the city to Mud Island.
Intercity transit
Intercity bus service to the city is provided by
Airports
The Tennessee Air National Guard operates the 164th Airlift Wing at the airport.
Memphis is also served by multiple general aviation (GA) airports. General Dewitt Spain Airport, located about 4 miles from Downtown Memphis, is the only one within city limits. The other GA airports are West Memphis Municipal Airport (about 10 mi from Downtown), Charles W. Baker Airport (about 11 mi from Downtown), Millington-Memphis Airport (about 17 mi from Downtown), and Olive Branch Airport (about 18 mi from Downtown).
Mississippi River port
The
Mississippi River bridges
Four rail and highway bridges cross the Mississippi River at Memphis. They are, in order of their opening: the Frisco Bridge, the Harahan Bridge, the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge and the Hernando de Soto Bridge. The piers of the first three bridges had to be lined up for river navigation as they were built side by side at a narrow point in the river.
Frisco Bridge
The Frisco Bridge (May 12, 1892) was the longest bridge in North America when it opened and was originally called the Great Bridge at Memphis. This cantilever truss steel railroad bridge was built between 1888–1892. It was designed by George S. Morison, who also designed the Taft Bridge in Washington, D.C.
Harahan Bridge
The Harahan Bridge (July 14, 1916) is a trestle railroad bridge originally built with narrow, one-way wooden cantilevered roadways along the outsides so it could be used for cars. In 1928, sparks from a train ignited and set fire to one of the wooden plank roads. At present only trains use the Harahan Bridge, but a pedestrian walkway and bike path was completed in fall 2016.
Memphis & Arkansas Bridge
The
Hernando de Soto Bridge
The Hernando de Soto Bridge (August 2, 1973) with its steel arches carries Interstate 40. In 1986, M-shaped lights became part of the bridge and a Memphis landmark.
The Guinness Book of World Records lists the de Soto bridge for its unique structural "letter" shape. In 2001 the mysterious disappearance and death of
The de Soto bridge once again made national headlines in May 2021, when a crack developed in one of the bridge trusses. The bridge was closed for 3.5 months as repairs were made and fully reopened on August 3, 2021.[12][13][14]
Bridges overview
| Name | Nickname | Total length | Opening date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frisco Bridge | 4,887 ft (1,490 m) | 12 May 1892 | |
| Harahan Bridge | 4,973 ft (1,516 m) | 14 July 1916 | |
| Memphis & Arkansas Bridge | "Old Bridge" | 5,222 ft (1,592 m) | 17 Dec. 1949 |
| Hernando de Soto Bridge | "New Bridge"; "Dolly Parton Bridge"; "M Bridge" | 19,535 ft (5,954 m) | 2 Aug. 1973 |
References
- ^ Clare, Liz. Pigeon Roost Road. 27 June 2008.
- ^ Memphis Central Station Pictures Archived 2015-09-26 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Memphis Amtrak Pictures Archived 2007-10-13 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Greater Memphis Regional Freight Plan" (PDF). Memphis MPO: 123–135.
- ^ "Jefferson Lines Tennessee Bus Stops". Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ^ "Greyhound Bus Routes". Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ^ Rushing, Wanda. Memphis: Cotton Fields, Cargo Planes, & Biotechnology Archived 2009-09-04 at the Wayback Machine, Southern Spaces 28 August 2009
- ^ "Airlines at MEM". Memphis International Airport - MEM. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
- ^ Top US Inland Ports for 2003 Archived 2009-03-25 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Port of Memphis website - About Page Archived 2010-03-07 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Don C. Wiley: Obituary and Newspaper Report Archived 2008-01-25 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Amir Vera and Paul Murphy. "Vital Memphis bridge shut down after officials find structural crack". CNN. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
- ^ Watts, Micaela A. "All lanes of I-40 Hernando de Soto bridge are now open". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
- ^ "I-40 Hernando DeSoto Bridge Shut Down for Repairs". www.tn.gov. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
