Officials are warning El Paso residents to avoid Interstate 10 next weekend as crews work to repair a utility bridge damaged in a serious semi truck wreck.
The wreck occurred on July 19th in El Paso, Texas when a semi truck driver traveling along I-10 lost control of his rig as he was reaching for a water bottle, sending his rig off the road and into the utility bridge near Stanton Street before bursting into flames.
Luckily, the driver was able to escape the wreckage on his own and suffered only minor injuries, but the bridge remains considerably damaged, leading to backups along I-10 as crews work to repair it.
According to KFox News, the Texas Department of Transportation warns that I-10 will be experiencing weekend-long closures in both directions next weekend beginning Friday, August 17th at 8:00 p.m. and continuing through Monday, August 20th at 5:00 a.m.
“While work will happen on the westbound side of I-10 next weekend, the closure of the eastbound lanes is needed for positioning of equipment,” said TxDOT El Paso District Engineer Bob Bielek.
“We expect both sides of the interstate to open simultaneously in time for Monday morning’s rush hour traffic.”
I-10 east will also be closed near Stanton Street in the days preceding the closure, Wednesday and Thursday the 15th and 16th, to allow for crews and commuters to prepare for the serious construction and road closure.
“Drivers should utilize alternate routes or plan for extra travel time if they plan to be downtown during this time. Additional congestion can be expected on the detour route as Yandell and Wyoming will be down to one lane during the closure to allow for utility work,” said Bielek.
Drivers are urged to enter and exit I-10 at downtown.