The bridge was hit by trucks three times in the span of a week.
HOUSTON — The Houston Avenue bridge over I-10 has been in the news lately for three bridge strikes in less than a week. And now emergency repairs to the bridge may have you taking weekend detours.
The emergency repairs will start at 9 p.m. Friday, September 12, and will continue through 5 a.m. Monday, September 15.
- I-10 Katy Freeway eastbound from Shepherd Dr./Durham Dr. to Houston Ave. – Traffic will be detoured to the I-10 eastbound frontage road, turns onto Shepherd, I-10 westbound, and I-610 before reconnecting to I-10 eastbound.
- I-10 Katy Freeway eastbound from Antoine Dr. to Shepherd Dr. – Four left lanes will be closed, with only one lane open for local traffic. Drivers are should use alternate routes, including 610 and I-45.
- 610 West Loop north and southbound connector ramps to I-10 eastbound – Drivers will be detoured to Chimney Rock before looping back to I-10 eastbound.
- Houston Avenue Bridge, both northbound and southbound at I-10 – For the northbound detour, drivers will turn right on Hogan St, left on N. Main St, then left on Quitman St, and right again onto Houston Ave. For those of you heading southbound on Houston Avenue, you’ll turn left on Quitman St, then right on N. Fulton St, right again on Hogan St, and left onto Houston Ave.
The bridge, which has been scheduled for demolition in early 2027, will eventually be reconstructed to run under I-10 as part of the I-10 White Oak Bayou elevation project. If you’re out and about, keep an eye on detour signs. And be patient.
The most recent strike on the Houston Avenue Bridge was Monday, when a truck hit it on the eastbound side, causing a traffic mess.
And on Saturday night, a semi-truck hauling an excavator hit the Houston Avenue bridge on I-10 eastbound, which closed some lanes for hours.
Just days before that, a truck struck the bridge, causing the big rig to jackknife and lose its load. Traffic was backed up for over six hours. The woman behind the truck whose car was damaged shared her story only on KHOU 11 News.
TxDOT Houston told KHOU 11 News this weekend they have reported at least five strikes of the Houston Avenue bridge this year that led to an emergency response.
A detection system has found that the bridge, just three inches above the national requirement, has been hit over 60 times. TxDOT said not all strikes led to lane closures.
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