Positive news for Baytown area commuters! The lanes affected have reopened as the renovations along the Fred Hartman Bridge came to end.
According to a Wednesday update from the city, overnight emergency repairs in two northbound lanes of the bridge over the Houston Ship Channel would last. The city also mentioned that the repairs should ideally be finished in time for the Thursday morning commute.
Thursday morning officials advised drivers to keep driving responsibly as all lanes were again available.
Expansion joint problems caused the lanes to be first shut Tuesday at around 2 p.m. Above the scene, SkyEye video revealed increasing backups during the afternoon rush. Delay times occasionally exceeded one hour.
Original Report: 13 Alert Traffic: Road damage blocks Fred Hartman Bridge northbound lanes
Tuesday, photographs from the Harris County Precinct 8 Constable’s Office on social media revealed a damaged expansion joint on the road.
On a bridge, the lengthy strips you notice between road sections are expansion joints. They enable the concrete to migrate at severe heat without cracking.
This is a not unusual problem. ABC13 has investigated at least three more cases of cracked expansion joints on Houston area bridges this year.
TxDOT claimed they are constantly looking for damage year-round and monitoring roads. They advised the public to let authorities know whether something appeared structural unsound or otherwise.
Real-time traffic statistics available on ABC13 will enable you to negotiate Houston’s highways and avoid congestion.