Houston Avenue Bridge hit 72 times in 2025, costing taxpayers more than $400K; demolition planned for 2027
You’ve probably driven under it dozens of times, the Houston Avenue Bridge that crosses over I-10 near downtown Houston. It’s become infamous for all the wrong reasons.
You’ve probably driven under it dozens of times, the Houston Avenue Bridge that crosses over I-10 near downtown Houston. It’s become infamous for all the wrong reasons.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the bridge has been hit 72 times in 2025 alone, racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage and forcing repeated freeway closures that disrupt traffic and cost taxpayers.
Every time an oversized truck hits the bridge, TxDOT says inspectors must be sent out immediately and I-10 is shut down for at least two hours while crews assess the structure’s safety.
So far this year, TxDOT says the cost of repairs and inspections has topped $401,000, including:
- $72,447.09 in in-house labor
- $328,932.70 in contracted inspections
- Total: $401,379.79
The bridge was most recently hit on October 5, following earlier strikes on September 8 and May 6.
Standing just 14 feet, 3 inches high, the bridge requires any taller truck to have a special permit to pass underneath. But TxDOT says many of the truckers responsible for these crashes were either hauling oversized loads without permits or ignoring designated routes to take shortcuts.
To help prevent strikes, TxDOT has installed three oversized-load detection systems that flash warnings to approaching drivers. Still, officials say not every trucker listens.
While the bridge remains structurally sound, it fails in one critical area, clearance. TxDOT engineers rated the bridge’s height a 2 out of 9, calling it “intolerable.”
TxDOT says that the Houston Avenue Bridge will eventually be demolished as part of the White Oak Bayou I-10 elevation project, scheduled to begin in early 2027.
The project will raise a portion of I-10 above the floodplain and reconstruct nearby bridges, including Houston Avenue, to address both flooding and clearance issues.
Until then, TxDOT says the bridge will remain in service.
Key facts: Houston Avenue Bridge
- Bridge strikes in 2025: 72
- Incidents investigated by HPD: 8
- Repair and inspection costs (2025): $401,379.79
- Bridge height: 14 ft, 3 in
- Built: 1965
- Average daily traffic: 18,750 vehicles
- Condition: Structurally sound
- Clearance rating: “Intolerable” (2/9)
- Demolition and rebuild: Planned for early 2027 (White Oak Bayou I-10 Elevation Project)
