CHANNELVIEW, Texas – State officials said they expect repairs to the East Freeway bridge at the San Jacinto River to be completed early next year.
The Texas Department of Transportation said a contractor is expected to be in place by the end of October and repairs will begin soon after.
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TxDOT said it expects the project to be completed in the first quarter of 2020.
What happened
When Tropical Depression Imelda hammered Southeast Texas and dropped multiple feet of water over the area, rivers and creeks swelled and came out of their banks.
According to authorities, the strong currents and rapidly rising waters of the San Jacinto River caused nine barges to break free and float downriver.
In the early morning hours Sept. 20, two of the barges struck the San Jacinto Bridge and became stuck underneath it, officials said.
Crews were able to remove the barges a few days later, but the bridge structure was compromised.
Traffic flow
The eastbound lanes of the bridge have been reconfigured to accommodate both eastbound and westbound traffic.
The current traffic configuration will be in place through at least the new year.