18 Wheeler Truck Hits Railroad Bridge on Highway 114 in North Fort Worth

June 7th, 2012 |

FORT WORTH, TX — An 18 wheeler truck accident took place Wednesday, June 6, when the 18-wheeler, carrying a steel beam, hit a railroad bridge with a portion of the beam while attempting to cross underneath Highway 114 in north Fort Worth.

Work crews use a crane to hoist a fallen steel beam after an 18 wheeler that was hauling it struck a railroad bridge and knocked it off onto the roadway below on June 6, 2012. A sign showing a clearance of 13' 10" was posted (foreground right).

A train was also traveling over the bridge when the semi truck made contact. The beam was dropped onto the road as debris was scattered.

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The accident occurred at about 4:30 a.m. Wednesday morning on Highway 114 in north Fort Worth and closed the highway near the intersection with Blue Mound Road (FM 156), just west of the Texas Motor Speedway.

Map showing location of 18 wheeler crash with railroad bridge in North Fort Worth, TX on Highway 114 near Farm to Market 156 (Blue Mound Road) on June 6, 2012.

“A truck hit a railroad bridge,” said Texas Department of Transportation spokesman Val Lopez. “The railroad guys are assessing the damage to their bridge and have to get equipment in there to evaluate.”

The collision was hard enough to move the tracks, said Fort Worth police spokesman Sgt. Pedro Criado.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe indicated that damage to the track is minimal according to spokesman Joe Faust. “But he did shake up that bridge a bit,” Faust went on to say. “We have about 40 trains a day going through that point. So we want to make sure that the bridge is secure.”

According to CBSDFW.COM, the Texas Department of Transportation and railroad personnel were called to assess the bridge’s safety. The crash displaced the railroad track and bed from the bridge columns. A crane was brought in to repair the damage. While officials were examining the bridge, engineers found that existing damage along the railroad track was worsening. Those additional repairs will require FM 156 to close as well.

Highway 114 is expected to open back up sometime on Thursday afternoon, while FM 156 will open to traffic again by Thursday night. But there is a small chance that the repairs could take longer than estimated. At one point, TxDOT said that the closures could last as much as 30 days.

Temporary detours have been set up using Texas Motor Speedway and Northwest Independent School District properties. While all roads should be opened for weekend events at the track, race fans are encouraged to contact the Texas Motor Speedway about any possible alternate routes as race weekend approaches.

Truck Accident Lawyer News blog is a truck accident and personal injury blog that publishes up to date truck accident and truck legal news from across the United States. Texas, due to its high population and vast highway system, has a high incident of truck accidents. Metropolitan cities with a high incident of truck accidents and semi truck collisions include Dallas, Ft. Worth and Houston to name a few.