Eighth Street in downtown Fort Worth is scheduled to reopen after being closed for months following an explosion at the Sandman Hotel that shook the area, blowing out windows and scattering debris for blocks.
“It’s been six months since the explosion at the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Downtown Hotel. The small businesses affected are being notified that one lane of Eighth Street will soon be open to traffic along with the on-street permit parking and metered parking,” the City of Fort Worth announced earlier this week.
“The tentative date for this reopening is July 22, but the City’s Transportation & Public Works Department is working with the contractor to explore whether this timeline can be moved up.”
The city said that temporary pavement repairs had been completed by the hotel’s contractor, First on Site, but a crater remains in the roadway in the aftermath of the blast. The area is still under construction, but one lane of traffic and street parking will be opened up as soon as steel plates are installed over the pit to protect drivers.
Businesses in the area have suffered revenue losses over the past several months, as the road closure made it difficult for customers to get to the businesses. Four small businesses in the immediate vicinity of the explosion received grants to help supplement their loss of income, the city reported.
In addition, the City of Fort Worth has lost the money it collects from the metered parking along the street, and parking permit holders had to make other arrangements during the months-long reconstruction effort.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, 21 people were injured when a gas explosion ripped through the bottom floors of the Sandman Hotel in downtown Fort Worth on January 8. One of the victims was critically injured in the blast when the first floor of the hotel collapsed into the basement.
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker thanked first responders for their assistance in the immediate aftermath of the explosion.
“I am deeply proud of the swift and professional response from our FW and area first responders today. I am humbled by the offers from our state leadership to support our city. Continue to watch @FortWorthFire for updates and pray for the recoveries of the injured,” wrote Parker in a post on X shortly after the explosion.