Houston police cited the driver of a truck that struck the West Dallas bridge earlier this month, opening the possibility state officials will recoup some of the costs to replace the damaged span.

Police Thursday confirmed Jose L. Rios, 62, of Richmond was cited by the city’s truck enforcement officers for, among other things, operating an over-height vehicle without a special permit. Rios, who was hauling a piece of construction equipment at the time, had a vehicle height of 14 feet, 7 inches.

Rios was driving south along Interstate 45 around 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 2 when he struck the bridge, which has a clearance of 14 feet, 1 inch, according to Texas Department of Transportation records.

The truck involved in the collision was rented from a Rosenberg heavy equipment rental dealer.

The West Dallas span has been closed since the bridge mishap, after inspectors concluded the strike compromised its weight limits. TxDOT spokesman Danny Perez said crews are working to open the two inner-most lanes of the bridge – one in each direction – to passenger vehicles only by later this week.

Eventually, Perez said, the entire bridge will need to be demolished and replaced. Replacing the span could be a costly emergency project. Perez said officials are still working on a long-term plan to remove and rebuild the bridge. The process will include seeking some compensation from Rios or liability insurance held by him or his employer, Perez said.

Commuters who use West Dallas, which handles around 11,000 vehicles per day west of I-45, said the closure has already affected their daily routine.

Patrick Abbott, 29, said he started leaving from his apartment 20 minutes earlier, just in case Allen Parkway traffic was backed up.

“There’s work everywhere,” Abbott said of his neighborhood around Taft and Dallas. “I’m sure (a long closure) is going to make it worse.”

Meanwhile, Perez said insurance often is part of the state's attempt to claim damage, ranging from mangled guardrails to bridges compromised by strikes.

“If there is an individual who is responsible, we would pursue compensation where there has been an incident,” Perez said, noting the same applies when trucks lead to hazardous material spills on the freeways. “We don’t want that to be an expense covered by the taxpayer.”

Just as other motorists, commercial truck drivers are required to carry liability insurance. Typically, policies would be for $500,000 or $1 million. Those carrying hazardous materials or large equipment can have policies covering them for damage up to $5 million.

Vehicles greater than 14 feet tall or with a gross weight of more than 80,000 pounds must obtain a permit to use state-maintained roads. The procedures exist so large trucks can navigate the area while avoiding low bridges, such as West Dallas and others around the Houston area.

“Generally, permit loads would not be routed for travel through the heart of downtown Houston,” said Adam Shaivitz, spokesman for the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, which oversees truck permitting.

With the exception of downtown-destined cargo, Shaivitz said permitted trucks typically use Loop 610 of the Sam Houston Tollway.