Road damage causes over a dozen flat tires on I-10 East Fwy near San Jacinto River, sheriff says
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Damage to the roadway on the I-10 East Freeway is being blamed for more than a dozen flat tires Monday morning.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, bridge expansion joints became exposed and widened in two spots along I-10 -- one is near the San Jacinto River, and the other is close to Monmouth Road.
A spokesperson for TxDOT said what happened was extremely unusual because it happened on the same day and because of the proximity of the damage, which she called "extensive."
The department could not say with certainty what caused the issue but suspected it was caused by a heavy load traveling through the area.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said about 10 to 15 vehicles had damage to tires after driving over the hole.
Crews were able to put semi-permanent fixes and reopen the roadway late Monday afternoon. Two westbound lanes, which have since reopened, were blocked for hours as crews worked to address the issue.
"The materials that we need to do a full permanent repair are on backorder at this time, so what we can do right now is return the road to its normal safety," Bambi Hall, a spokesperson for TxDOT, said.
Hall said that the materials should be ready within the next few weeks for repairs to be made.
TxDOT said consultants inspect bridges statewide every two years.
Engineers and others within TxDOT drive daily throughout their assigned areas, looking for any issue that needs to be addressed proactively, according to Hall.
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