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Update at 1:33 p.m.: Michael Rey, spokesman for the North Texas Tollway Authority, wants you to know now, not later: “This is going to take a while.”
It’s far from clear when the westbound President George Bush Turnpike ramp and the northbound Dallas North Tollway will reopen. In fact, says Rey, it’s very likely the southbound Dallas North Tollway might also close whenever crews decide to remove the directional boring machine from the overpass. It remains to be seen when that will happen.
“As you know, every situation is unique,” he says. “They’re all problems to be solved.” Some are just bigger than others.
And in this instance, says Rey, engineers are trying to figure out how to remove the 40,000-pound piece of equipment without damaging the overpass.
Says Rey, it’s “a mathematical problem, and the engineers are up there having to assess it for safety. For now, this is a long-term deal.”
We’ll have live video when crews begin to remove the machine from the overpass.
Updates to come. In the meantime, don’t get anywhere near this.
Original item posted at 12:22 p.m.: Dallas police say the westbound President George Bush Turnpike ramp and the northbound Dallas North Tollway is closed. The reason: a flatbed trailer carrying a directional boring machine is now hanging off the overpass. (Authorities had initially said it was a crane; via Twitter, reader Bryan Lee correctly ID’d the equipment.)
Dallas police are on the scene of this major accident involving the construction equipment; so too are Texas Department of Public Safety troopers.
Trooper Lonne Haschel, a DPS spokesman, says Dallas North Tollway officials are now assessing “the best way to move it from the ramp to minimize the damage. They’re trying to decide if they’re going to have to get a crane to lift it.”
Several Dallas-Fire Rescue units are assisting as well, including HazMat to deal with leaking gas.
The North Texas Tollway Authority says all traffic on the Bush is exiting at Preston. Northbound traffic on the toll road is being forced to exit at Frankford.
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