Exposed expansion rod on I-45 North Freeway repaired after causing damage to cars
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A busy portion of I-45 going into Houston has reopened following emergency repairs Tuesday morning.
The southbound lanes of the interstate near Louetta and Cypresswood were partially shut down for hours following a broken expansion joint in an overpass.
"We had a situation where a bridge joint came undone and was sort of popped up," Texas Department of Transportation Public Information Officer Danny Perez said.
There were reports of multiple flat tires and a broken piece of road punctured one car's oil pan.
The interstate reopened just before noon and will undergo permanent repairs at a later date, according to Perez.
The incident came just a couple of weeks after two similar breaks occurred on I-10 on March 25 - one at Monmouth and one over the San Jacinto River.
RELATED: Road damage causes over a dozen flat tires on I-10 East Fwy near San Jacinto River, sheriff says
TxDOT said at the time that it was unusual for there to be two breaks like that so close together.
ABC13 asked Perez if those breaks, in addition to Tuesday morning's, were indicative of bigger issues related to the condition of the area's infrastructure.
He said no but implored the public to report any issues they see, such as cracks in the road.
"We have scouts that go out constantly looking at these areas, but sometimes it could change from hour to hour," Perez said.
He said maintenance was scheduled on one roadway Tuesday morning after a commuter alerted them to an issue via social media.
Eyewitness News also asked if TxDOT is doing its due diligence prior to the summer months.
Multiple issues of roads buckling due to the heat last summer were reported, and Perez said they're trying to repair things like small cracks now so they don't turn into bigger issues once the weather gets hotter.
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