Severe Weather and Flash Flooding Cause Major Closure on I-40 in Tennessee

Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east-west transcontinental highway in the United States, spanning approximately 2,500 miles from California to North Carolina and serving as a vital transportation artery across the south-central part of the country[1][2][5]. It is one of the original trunk highways of the U.S. Interstate Highway System, authorized by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 and officially numbered in 1957[1]. The highway traverses multiple states, including California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina, with each state managing various segments and related business routes[2][3][5]. I-40 plays a crucial role in national and regional economic development by facilitating efficient freight and passenger movement. It connects key markets on both the eastern and western coasts, significantly reducing shipping costs and enhancing mobility[6]. The highway supports local, state, and national economies, acting as a “linear economy-on-wheels” by increasing travel speed and freight capacity, especially in states like Tennessee and Arkansas, where it divides large regions and supports substantial economic activity[5][6]. Historically, I-40’s planning dates back to proposals in the 1930s and 1940s, with some extraordinary considerations such as a canceled 1960s plan to use atomic bombs for excavation in California[1]. The route has undergone significant expansions and upgrades over the decades, including major projects like the Crosstown Expressway in Oklahoma City, completed in 2012 at a cost exceeding $670 million[2]. Today, Interstate 40 remains a strategic statewide corridor, actively studied and improved through ongoing corridor profile studies, such as those led by the Arizona Department of Transportation and Tennessee Department of Transportation. These efforts focus on performance-based planning to enhance safety, efficiency, and freight mobility on this essential transportation backbone[7][8]. Notable aspects include its extensive network of business loops, vital interchanges