As U.S. Roads And Bridges Continue To Age, Georgia Companies, Consumers Will Feel The Effects

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaks with East Point Mayor Deana Holiday Ingraham Friday during his visit to Metro Atlanta.

Emil Moffatt/WABE News

Officials shut down the Interstate 40 bridge linking Arkansas and Tennessee earlier this month after a crack was discovered. Some river traffic has begun flowing again, but it could be months before the cracked bridge is re-opened to cars and trucks.

Despite the bridge being hundreds of miles away from Metro Atlanta, Georgia companies and consumers are likely feeling the effects.

Companies who rely on I-40 or the Mississippi River to move goods back and forth across the country are being forced to consider alternate routes. That’s according to Pervinder Johar, CEO of the logistics company Blume Global, which is based in the Bay Area but has a presence in Atlanta. He says the repercussions are two-fold.