13 Alert Traffic: Emergency expansion joint repairs to continue overnight on Fred Hartman Bridge

BAYTOWN, Texas (KTRK) -- Start making plans now for your Wednesday evening commute and maybe even into Thursday morning if you're in the Baytown area.

The city said in an update that emergency repairs in two northbound lanes of the Fred Hartman Bridge over the Houston Ship Channel will continue overnight.

Crews hope to have the repairs completed in time for Thursday morning's commute, the city added.

The lanes were first blocked around 2 p.m. Tuesday due to expansion joint issues. SkyEye video from above the scene showed growing backups during the afternoon rush. At one point, delays were over an hour.

PREVIOUS REPORT: 13 Alert Traffic: Northbound lanes of Fred Hartman Bridge blocked due to roadway damage

ABC13 drove by the damaged spot on the bridge again Wednesday morning. The lanes were still blocked, but crews had not yet resumed work as of 6 a.m.

The Harris County Precinct 8 Constable's Office shared images on social media Tuesday showing a damaged expansion joint on the roadway.

Expansion joints are the long strips you see between sections of road on a bridge. They allow the concrete to move without cracking in conditions like extreme heat.

This is not an uncommon issue. ABC13 has covered at least three other instances of broken expansion joints on bridges across the Houston area this year.

TxDOT said they are always inspecting roadways and looking for damage year-round. They said they urge the public to let officials know if anything looks off or structurally unsound.

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