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Traffic still routing around I-10 bridges closed by runaway barges – Houston Chronicle

Sep 23rd, 2019

Interstate 10 at the San Jacinto River east of Houston was shutdown after multiple barges collided with the bridge on Sept. 20.

Interstate 10 at the San Jacinto River east of Houston was shutdown after multiple barges collided with the bridge on Sept. 20.

Photo: Godofredo A. Vsquez, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer

Interstate 10 at the San Jacinto River east of Houston was shutdown after multiple barges collided with the bridge on Sept. 20.

Interstate 10 at the San Jacinto River east of Houston was shutdown after multiple barges collided with the bridge on Sept. 20.

Traffic still routing around I-10 bridges closed by runaway barges

Interstate 10 at the San Jacinto River remained closed over the weekend and into Monday morning, as officials assess exactly how much damage at least two runaway barges did when they barreled into the columns supporting the westbound lanes.

Two barges pinned beneath the bridge were removed Sunday, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, which is overseeing the incident. A third remains grounded on the San Jacinto Waste Pits Superfund Site.

Officials said none of the cargo on any of the barges was affected and no public health issues have been identified. They continue to do water and air sampling in the area. According to the Coast Guard, 277 people and eight sampling teams continue to work in the area and the river remains closed to vessel traffic.

This was a very complex operation that was completed with no pollution or injuries, said Cmdr. Nicole Rodriguez, on-scene coordinator for the Coast Guard.

The barges removal is only the start of a process, however. The Texas Department of Transportation still must conduct extensive inspections before opening up any lanes to traffic, spokeswoman Emily Black said.

We definitely have obvious damage but have a lot more to do, she said.

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The freeway has been closed since around midnight Friday, when bystanders reported seeing the barges break loose from their mooring about a quarter-mile north of I-10. Nine barges broke loose as the river surged with stormwater from the remnants of Tropical Storm Imelda. Six barges made their way below the eastbound and westbound I-10 bridges each direction of the freeway is its own separate span.

Two of the barges, owned by Canal Barge Co. and maintained at San Jacinto River Fleet, became pinned to the columns of the bridge. A third barge remains beached at the Superfund site. It will be removed only when its cargo of lube oil is removed to lessen its weight, officials said.

Interstate 10 bridge closed at San Jacinto River

Interstate 10 bridge closed at San Jacinto River

What will take potentially days is reopening the freeway. Sonar equipment was used Sunday to start inspecting pillars of the westbound bridge, which took the brunt of the impact from the barges. Further testing will require divers to inspect, Black said.

The current is still too strong for us to be put divers in the water, she said.

Engineers and officials are working on contingency plans for what could be lengthy repairs to the westbound span to get traffic moving through the area. If the eastbound bridge is deemed safe, the likely interim plan would be to share the eastbound bridge and run freeway traffic both directions on it. That would require work just to prepare the roadway.

That would be the best case scenario, Black said.

In the meantime, officials are directing drivers around the closing of one of the nations busiest freeways for trucks along two routes. Drivers can use either the Sam Houston Tollway, U.S. 90 and FM 2100 to get across the river to the north, or else Texas 330, Texas 146 and Texas 225 to bypass to the south.

There is not a super-close straight across, Black said, acknowledging both are lengthy detours. We know that, and that is why we are working as quick as we can.

Meanwhile, other portions of I-10 are seeing slight improvement from the flooded conditions that have complicated travel. The freeway reopened Sunday in both directions between Beaumont and Winnie, TxDOT officials said.

dug.begley@chron.com

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Traffic still routing around I-10 bridges closed by runaway barges - Houston Chronicle

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