I-30 Crossing Contractor Kiewit Picked to Oversee I-55 Bridge Replacement

A Parsons Transportation Group Inc. rendering of one of the concepts for the new I-55 bridge (Image provided by the Tennessee Department of Transportation)

The Tennessee Department of Transportation on Thursday (TDOT) announced the selection of Kiewit Infrastructure South Co. of Westlake, Texas, as the construction manager and general contractor for the Interstate 55 bridge replacement project.

The company is a subsidiary of Kiewit Corp. of Omaha, Nebraska, which is overseeing the I-30 Crossing project in Little Rock as part of a joint venture with Massman Construction of Overland Park, Kansas. The first phase of that project, which included the replacement of the Interstate 30 bridge over the Arkansas River, was completed in November.

In a news release, TDOT said the contract for Kiewit’s newest bridge project is being finalized. The environmental review and compliance process for the project is wrapping up and design work is already underway. Parsons Transportation Group Inc., a division of Parsons Corp. of Chantilly, Virginia, is the project’s engineering and design firm.

Construction is estimated to begin as early as the second half of 2025.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded $394 million toward half the cost of replacing the 75-year-old bridge, which spans the Mississippi River between Arkansas and Tennessee. Both states have committed up to $200 million to the project.

The bridge, a vital link for national commerce, is set to undergo a comprehensive overhaul to add capacity, improve safety standards, ensure route resiliency and maintain optimal operational conditions. The new structure will be designed to meet modern seismic codes, as it sits on the New Madrid fault line.

“The Arkansas Department of Transportation is pleased to partner with TDOT to construct a modern structure on a corridor that conveys many critical goods and services through the heart of our nation each day,” ARDOT Director Jared Wiley said in the release. “We are thankful that TDOT was able to secure this historic grant award and are confident in Kiewit’s ability to deliver the project on time and budget.”

More than 64,000 vehicles are projected to cross the bridge every day by 2050.

Kiewitt is one of the largest engineering and construction firms in North America, with 31,000 employees and $17.1 billion in revenue in 2023.

“Kiewit is very pleased to have been selected to help deliver the bridge replacement project for the Tennessee and Arkansas Departments of Transportation,” Dave Miles, executive vice president of Kiewit, said in the release. “We have a long history of safely building and engineering complex bridge and transportation projects across the United States, including in both states. We are excited to bring our experience and skilled workforce to this project, which importantly connects both states for people within and traveling through the region.”