Damaged bridge joint causes multiple flat tires for vehicles on Gulf Freeway, TxDOT says

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- TxDOT said a damaged piece of bridge expansion joint on the Gulf Freeway, southbound near the South Loop, was removed Friday morning.

Video obtained by ABC13 shows multiple cars stranded along the freeway on Friday morning.

The man who shared the footage with Eyewitness News said the cars had flat tires because of the damaged expansion joint.

TxDOT said it is still trying to determine what caused the break and will schedule repairs later.

Bridge expansion joints allow concrete to expand and contract safely.

TxDOT says a federal mandate requires bridges to be inspected every other year, but the agency has previously said the joints can break with little warning.

The agency has also told us in the past that crews regularly inspect roads for issues like the one that took place this morning.

This is not the first time something like this has happened this week, as reports of a similar incident on the Katy Freeway near Fry Road came in on Tuesday morning.

Drivers whose cars were damaged this morning will need to file claims through their own insurance, TxDOT said.

The agency says it is not allowed to use state funds for property damage.