Loop 12, parts of eastbound 183 to re-open this evening after crash damaged bridge in Irving
Updated at 3:45 p.m.: Transportation officials said they plan to completely open Loop 12 and partially open eastbound 183 this evening.
However, the right shoulder and rightmost lane will remain closed for “the foreseeable future” because the three beams under them need to be replaced, Lafontaine said.
About a dozen TXDOT workers were at the crash site this afternoon, removing loose concrete and metal that fell onto Loop 12.
Officials have not established a plan for the long-term repairs on 183.
“It takes a lot of planning and shutdowns,” said McClellan, the police spokesman. “It’s a big undertaking.”
In the meantime, he said motorists trying to get from the Mid-Cities area to Dallas should take alternate routes such as Interstate 30, LBJ Freeway or Highway 114.
“It’s no man’s land because there’s no other route other than a big detour,” McClellan said. “But it’s better than being stuck out here, I will tell you that.”
Original post at 12:54 p.m.: A commercial vehicle struck the bottom part of a Highway 183 bridge in Irving this afternoon, forcing authorities to close off the highway and divert traffic through the service road.
Irving police spokesman James McClellan said northbound Loop 12 and eastbound 183, where the two roadways intersect, will likely be closed 7 to 10 hours as authorities assess the damage.
TXDOT officials said the crash involved a tractor trailer that hauls dumpsters.
The truck was traveling northbound on Loop 12, when the driver saw the dumpster behind him lift up and scrape the bottom part of eastbound 183, TXDOT spokesman Ryan Lafontaine said.
He said preliminary reports show the truck hit three concrete beams under the road that the bridge supports.
Pockets of concrete fell off the bottom side of the bridge, and authorities shut the roadway down.
TXDOT “will have to assess the damage and see what it’s going to take to make sure it’s safe before we can keep reopen it,” Lafontaine said.
Police and fire are helping divert traffic to the service roads. Traffic, of course, is heavy in that area.
