Highway 290 east at 610 North Loop reopens after big rig slams into bridge

HOUSTON – The connecting ramp from Highway 290 to the 610 North Loop and the HOV lane reopened Thursday morning after a big rig slammed into a bridge.

Crews closed the connecting ramp and the HOV lane in northwest Houston Wednesday morning after the big rig crashed and its load got stuck underneath.

"It's clearly marked. The bridges. The height. They're clearly marked. He should've looked up before even passing," Muhamad Elkurdi said.

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Police said the driver hit the Highway 290 HOV bridge and its empty tank became lodged in the concrete , causing severe damage. A driver in a red truck hit him from behind.

"He's way off his permitted route and that's why there's a low clearance bridge, as well as some power lines that he struck further back," Sgt. G.T. Hall, with the HPD Accident Division, said.

Paramedics took the driver of the red truck to the hospital with chest pains. The driver of big rig was not hurt, but could face several traffic tickets.


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