Until repairs can be made, state highway officials have lightened the load on the Interstate 69 southbound bridge spanning the San Jacinto River, compromised by surging waters during Hurricane Harvey.

The Texas Department of Transportation has instructed overweight trucks – those weighing more than 80,000 pounds – to stay off the interstate bridge between Humble and Kingwood and use the southbound frontage road instead.

"The bridge is not at risk of failing or falling," TxDOT spokesman Danny Perez said.

The move comes after heavy rains led the river to top the bridge as water poured downstream, ripping up trees and carrying debris miles to Galveston Bay.

Waters across the freeway at one point became so forceful, they moved the concrete center dividers along the road, leaving them in a serpentine pattern.

The storm and flooding left a few problems in its wake.

“The deeper part of the main channel of the San Jacinto River shifted a short distance within the waterway and material scoured out around the bridge foundations,” Perez said. “After analyzing the foundations’ load carrying capacity, we found that we needed to limit the loads.”

The bridge is the only one in TxDOT's Houston district where officials have restricted access by overweight trucks because of Harvey-related damage.

Heavy trucks are especially troublesome for freeways and bridges. Perez said the decision to remove overweight vehicles – most semi-tractor trailers are below the 80,000 pound limit – was made out of an abundance of caution. Anything that exposes or changes the ground around bridge foundations gives engineers some pause.

“The integrity of the bridge is fine but the modified load limits were put into place as preventive measure until repairs can be done,” Perez said. “A contract to repair the bridge and restore the load-carrying capacity of the bridge is being prepared and will let within the next few weeks. The work is anticipated to take place in the next few months. Once complete we can remove the load restriction.”

Officials have stopped issuing any permits for overweight loads routed along I-69, also known as U.S. 59 in the Houston area. Some permits do not include specific routes, so officials have installed message signs alerting overweight vehicles to exit and use the frontage road.

Around the Houston region, transportation officials still are assessing and responding to some minor storm-related damage. The most serious emergency repairs were needed to reopen the Sam Houston Tollway south of Interstate 10. Crews also had to repair a collapsed culvert to reopen FM 762 in Fort Bend County.