HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – A barge accident has resulted in a major headache for some drivers Tuesday morning.
All the main westbound lanes of I-10 the East Freeway at the San Jacinto River bridge were closed Monday around 4 p.m. after a barge crashed into a pillar, causing severe damage.
Two lanes are now open, but drivers coming in from the McNair and Lynchburg areas will still have to deal with some backup.
The on-ramp at South Main street westbound is also closed down causing problems for commuters driving through Highland.
“I have been sitting in traffic for 45 minutes and still haven’t gotten to a freeway,” said one frustrated driver.
Another person said, “I have no idea what time I am going to get to work, took me almost two hours to get home yesterday and so I don’t know what time I will get to work."
People who want to avoid the slowdown altogether can take Highway 330 southbound to Highway 146 then on to Highway 225 into town.
Teams of workers from the Texas Department of Transportation have been inspecting the bridge, looking to make repairs.
Those workers told KPRC2 reporter Vincent Crivelli they don’t know how long repairs will take, so expect portions of the bridge to be closed for the foreseeable future.
Commuters will need to take alternate routes and new drive times into account while repairs are made on the bridge.