Issue date: 9/18/07 Section: NEWS

Media Credit: Chrislynn Mabul Concrete fell from the 407 bridge in Lewisville on Sept. 11 making a hole on I-35. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Chrislynn Mabul Concrete fell from the 407 bridge in Lewisville on Sept. 11 making a hole on I-35. [Click to enlarge]

A hole the size of a manhole cover emerged on the bridge of FM 407 in Lewisville last week, leaving debris scattered along Interstate 35E and forcing a lane closure, said Kelli Petra, Texas Department of Transportation spokeswoman.
The bridge has no structural problems, Petras said, and she believes that maintenance issues were the ultimate cause of the hole.
"It was basically a pothole in the bridge," she said. "It fell through onto the roadway, and we went ahead and reformed the bridge and deck and poured concrete into it."
The bridge has been functional since 4:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, and there have been no injuries, Petras said.
"We're trying to do the best we can to maintain our infrastructures properly so it's not an issue again," Petras said. "We're trying to maintain diligence."
The state of Texas requires that bridges be checked every two years, but TxDOT checks each bridge every three to six months, Petras said. In order to check the bridges, a Snooper truck sits on top of the bridge and extends a long arm underneath it to test structural integrity, she said.
"I honestly don't know if someone saw a pothole or something similar beforehand," Petras said. "We could have filled the pothole and taken out the crack before it fell through, but things like this you can't foresee unless it's a crack, especially if it's structurally intact."
Petras said she believes the increase of traffic on the bridge, poor weather and its age were all contributing factors to the hole.
"The traffic has doubled in the last five to seven years, and recent wet weather we've had has been a huge factor for a lot of our roads with potholes in them," Petras said.
Congressman Michael Burgess recently sent a letter to the Texas Transportation Commission requesting a plan detailing how the bridge is structurally sound.
"We must do everything we can to ensure the safety of the motoring public around this bridge," Burgess said in the letter.
The FM 407 bridge falls under TxDOT jurisdiction rather than the county's, said Bobbie J. Mitchell, Denton County Commissioner.
"Unfortunately, we don't have a say in getting things done," Mitchell said. "We will be asking TxDOT for a maintenance plan because the citizens will need to know."

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