Lanes reopen 15 hours after tall truck slams into Beltway 8 bridge over Hardy Toll Road

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Pieces of a North Harris County bridge crumbled onto the highway below Tuesday.

The incident happened after a truck struck a Beltway 8 bridge running over the Hardy Toll Road.

"We don't know what caused that, other than the load being a little too high for the clearance of the structure, which was 16 foot two inches," TxDOT spokesperson Bambi Hall said.

The 2 p.m. crash brought traffic to a standstill. The Harris County Toll Road Authority shut down the portion of the toll road as crews made emergency repairs.

"Safety is always our priority here at HCTRA. So if there is any potential or actual risk to the traveling public, we're going to shut down the road," HCTRA spokesperson Tracy Jackson said.

The truck is one of at least half a dozen to slam into Houston-area bridges in recent years. Last month, the Houston Avenue bridge was struck.

"It does happen, and it's not something that is uncommon," Hall said. "Of course, we have clearances for each elevated area, and they all vary for a variety of reasons, and it would simply be up to that portion of the motoring public to understand what those clearances are."

ABC13 has reported previous TxDOT attempts to recoup costs for repairs from trucking companies. It is unclear if they will do so for this collision.

A timeline for permanent repairs is also in the works. Hall said wiring and mesh were used to complete an emergency temporary repair - preventing chunks of concrete from falling into the concrete below.

Hall said the bridge is currently structurally stable and that the section of Hardy Toll Road will need to be closed again for permanent repairs. It was closed for approximately 15 hours for temporary repairs Monday and Tuesday.

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