DART expects to finish critical repairs by Wednesday evening after a major traffic accident Sunday morning caused significant damage to its downtown railway system.
During a rainstorm in the early morning hours of Sunday, a Dallas firetruck on its way to a fire call hydroplaned off the elevated roadway at I-345 and South Good Latimer Expressway. The fire engine broke through a barrier, knocked down a highway sign, and landed on the DART tracks below.
The four firefighters in the truck at the time of the accident were taken to Baylor University Medical Center for treatment. As of Monday, three of the firefighters had been released, while the fourth remains hospitalized in the ICU with a serious neck injury, per WFAA.
DART riders experienced significant delays during travel on Monday as DART workers began to repair the road, as reported by The Dallas Express.
On Monday afternoon, DART said the repair team had made “substantial progress” but warned that travelers would experience delays through at least Wednesday evening.
“After almost 24 hours of work, the team has a goal of restoring service into Downtown Dallas Central Business District by Wednesday evening,” DART said in a news release.
“The impact of Sunday morning’s crash was severe and caused major damage to DART’s Overhead Catenary System (OCS) which will need complex repairs in order to be fully operable. Due to these ongoing repairs, commuters will experience substantial delays to their travels for the remainder of Monday July 22 at least through Wednesday July 24.”
Following the crash, DART deployed a team of 21 shuttle buses to transport passengers in place of the usual light rail services.
“DART will continue to operate a bus bridge during this time; this series of shuttles buses will be available for passengers who are [traveling] within the Central Business District, picking up and dropping off at the following locations: Cityplace/Uptown, Deep Ellum, Pearl/Arts District, West End, EBJ/Union, Victory.”
Passengers who typically use the Orange line between City Place/Uptown and Parker Road stations are advised to board Red Line trains. Once in the Central Business District, riders can board the bus bridge.
Those traveling to Dallas Fort Worth Airport should board the shuttle bus to Victory Station and then take the Orange line to the airport.
“This work is extensive, and passengers are encouraged to add in as much travel time as possible for their journey. Look for DART signage and DART staff at the stations, and when possible, utilize alternate forms of transportation for your travels,” said DART.
Riders can find service updates on the DART GoPass app or at DART.org.