July 20, 2018 • EPE Related News
El Paso Times: I-10 overpass beams break, traffic backs up severely after closures from crash
Beams on an overpass bridge of Interstate 10 that were damaged in a fiery crash of a semitrailer have broken apart and landed on the highway, TxDOT officials said.
Texas Department of Transportation officials said crews working to fix the bridge used two cranes to support the damage beams and "as anticipated, (the) added pressure on concrete deck resulted in breaking when beams were lifted."
Despite the beams breaking, officials said via Twitter that the "bridge was never in danger of collapsing."
TxDOT traffic cameras show large metal pipes laying on the highway between the Mesa and Stanton streets.
Also, debris appears to have fallen onto a side barricade on I-10 West, a photo from the traffic cameras show.
The wreck occurred at about 1:34 p.m. Thursday when a semitruck driver lost control of his vehicle. It left the roadway, went up an embankment, crashed and caught fire, El Paso Police Department officials said.
The driver, who was reportedly distracted by attempting to reach something in the vehicle, was taken to an area hospital with minor injuries, police officials said.
TxDOT officials said Thursday that a segment of I-10 would be closed for at least 24 hours.
As of Friday morning, I-10 West traffic is being detoured off the highway at the Mesa Street exit and being allowed to get back on the highway at the Yandell Drive on-ramp.
The Copia, Piedras, and Cotton/Dallas on-ramps on I-10 West will remain closed, TxDOT officials said via Twitter.
Traffic on I-10 East is being directed off the highway at the Downtown exit ramp and re-entering the highway at the Wyoming on-ramp, officials said.
The Porfirio Diaz on-ramp to I-10 East remains closed.
According to TxDOT traffic cameras, as of 8:30 a.m. traffic is backing up on both sides of the freeway due to the closures.
Traffic on I-10 east is backed up passed Schuster Avenue, while I-10 West traffic is building up near Brown Street.
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