Over the next several days, DART riders will experience significant travel delays after a traffic accident damaged the light rail tracks in the downtown area on Sunday morning.
During an early morning rainstorm on July 21, a fire engine with four Dallas firefighters aboard reportedly hydroplaned on I-345, which connects I-45, US-75, and South Good Latimer. The vehicle crashed through the barrier on the elevated roadway, knocked down a large highway sign, and landed on the DART tracks below.
The highway sign fell across the roadway, resulting in the closure of parts of I-345 until the sign could be removed.
South Good Latimer, Routh Street, and the DART tracks in the downtown area were closed Sunday morning due to damage.
The four firefighters were taken to Baylor University Medical Center for treatment. As of Monday morning, three of the injured firefighters had been released, while the fourth remains in the hospital with a serious neck injury, WFAA reported.
“As a result of this accident, DART services lost power in the Downtown Dallas’ Central Business District- halting all
train traffic in this area,” DART said in a press release on Sunday. “Immediately after being notified, the DART Operations team established bus bridges at the following locations: Cityplace/Uptown, Deep Ellum, Pearl/Arts District, West EBJ/Union Station, Victory.”
“These bus shuttles will service the stations listed above in place of the usual lightrail service and will help passengers make connections to lightrail trains,” Dart said in the announcement.
Dart quickly mobilized 14 shuttle buses to replace train service in the area on Sunday. On Monday, the number of shuttle buses was increased to 21 to handle the increased commuter traffic for the work week. Additionally, DART riders at the St Paul/Akard station can take a shuttle that connects them to the bus bridge.
“The crash resulted in severe damage to the DART system which will take a significant amount of time to repair. Moreover, Dallas Police Officials are investigating the crash, which means that DART cannot immediately begin the repairs to fully restore service.
“During this time, passengers should expect significant delays and should be mindful of signage and directions from DART personnel,” DART said in a press release.
Passengers who normally use the Orange line between City Place/Uptown and Parker Road stations should board Red Line trains instead. Once they arrive at the Central Business District, they can board the bus bridge to their final destination.
Riders can find service updates on the DART GoPass app or at DART.org.