HOUSTON, TX. (THECOUNT) — All lanes of I-10 – the East Freeway – are shut down early Friday morning in both directions near the San Jacinto River, after multiple barges got loose shuttering the Sam Houston Tollway Bridge.
Views from the air show the bridge appearing to have suffered major damage when it was struck by loose barges overnight.
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Sgt. B Stephens with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Friday morning that multiple barges broke loose on the river, and the barges struck the bridge.
Officials fear the barges may have combustible materials in them, reports WWLT.
The bridges will remain shut down until they can be inspected, but the Texas Department of Transportation tells KHOU 11 News the inspection can’t happen until the water level goes down.
Doug Delony via Twitter:
“@DougDelonyKHOU MAJOR DAMAGE TO I-10 AT THE SAN JACINTO RIVER: It appears the bridge suffered even worse damage this time after two barges hit it overnight. All lanes shut down- both directions. This is a look from Air 11 just now.”
Because of the issue, tolls on the Sam Houston Tollway Bridge over the Houston Ship Channel are temporarily being waived if drivers want to connect to Highway 90 or Highway 225 to the Fred Hartman Bridge.
Currently the river is high due to Thursday’s flooding from the remnants of Tropical Depression Imelda.
There is currently no timeline for the inspection and reopening of the bridge
As of 5:10 a.m. the I-10 bridge remains shut down with drivers being forced to exit the freeway and u-turn.
Detour: Use Highway 90 and through the town of Barrett or use the Fred Hartman Bridge/146 between La Porte and Baytown. But be aware some roads still have high water.
DEVELOPING::
Geo quick facts: Houston is a large metropolis in Texas, extending to Galveston Bay. It’s closely linked with the Space Center Houston, the coastal visitor center at NASA’s astronaut training and flight control complex. The city’s relatively compact Downtown includes the Theater District, home to the renowned Houston Grand Opera, and the Historic District, with 19th-century architecture and upscale restaurants – wikipedia.