What you need to know
The Hwy. 29 bridge will be temporarily closed from 9 p.m. on Sept. 17 to 5 a.m. on Sept. 19. Southbound I-35 lanes from Exit 261 to the overpass will be closed from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Sept. 17 and Sept. 19, as well as the Williams Drive entrance ramp.
TxDOT will put the following detours in place during the closures:
- Eastbound Hwy. 29 traffic will use the southbound I-35 frontage road to U-turn at Leander Road
- Westbound Hwy. 29 traffic will use the northbound I-35 frontage road to U-turn at Williams Drive
- Southbound I-35 traffic will use the southbound frontage road
Also of note
Although the closures will last two days, the repair work on the damaged beams is expected to take four to five weeks to complete. Once the work is complete, the Hwy. 29 eastbound lanes will fully reopen.
Two of the bridge's beams require replacement, but TxDOT has not determined a timeline for the work yet, according to a news release.
The cause
On Sept. 2, an 18-wheeler struck the Hwy. 29 overpass, causing a crash involving five other vehicles, according to a city of Georgetown news release. The driver of the 18-wheeler was hauling an excavator that exceeded the height limits for the bridge, as well as the height restrictions of their TxDOT commercial permit.
