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>> KPRC, 2 news begins right
now with breaking news.
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>> Good We are coming back on
with an update on this downed
power line that’s causing
traffic delays. This is in the
area of Southwest Freeway.
>> And Newcastle, you can see
a large presence of emergency
responders on the feeder road.
This is just off the Southwest
Freeway in Newcastle. We saw
backups earlier this morning.
It appears to be moving now
traffic along the Southwest
Freeway appears to be moving.
This is a live look of this
scene from Sky 2 crews are out
there on the scene. It appears
they’re actually out at several
different areas along the
highway. We saw just moments
ago crews were setting up cones
on the Wesleyan exit. So if you
are heading into the West, you
area you’re going to have to
look for an alternate route
because that that exit appears
to be closed at this point.
But if you are just joining us,
we have an update for you are
continuing to fall. Follow this
breaking news that we first
brought to you at around 8.50,
this morning. So more than 40
minutes later, crews are still
out there because of this
downed power line. We’re going
to bring just in a lot are into
this to see what she’s seeing
out there on the roads this
morning. I know just, you know,
this is impacting a lot of
folks this morning trying to
get to and from work. It’s it’s
really tough for me to be.
And I don’t know if you can
see just, you know what it
Maybe crews are cleaning up
debris and that roadway.
That’s a shadow on the ground.
I wasn’t sure what that was
that we were just looking at.
But what are you from your on
your and Justin, a?
>> So from my and I’m still
working on get on this, Mike.
But I got to Zach, so we are
taking a live look at the
Southwest Freeway just at a
Buffalo Speedway. So so this
is right after that accident.
If you’re if you’re heading
through even to the right of
the screen, you can see that
police activity. But it looks
like traffic actually on the
South Freeway isn’t doing too
bad this morning and taking a
look at the map. So we still
see that shutdown moving about
0 miles per hour. But in other
areas, we are moving it
southbound just at Newcastle
Drive multiple vehicles.
We’re involved me. It looks
like at least 5 of them in that
area were of all involved.
And then it’s at that exit West
Linn. We know that that’s
close. You can take West you if
you like. But of course, it
seems like that accident is
mainly in that feature lane.
So if you’re heading out, of
course, she does have to
proceed with caution and try
to use apps like our app, of
course, and
apps that will get you around
that accident if you do head in
that area because it looks like
if we’re looking at operate
now.
Skycam too, that that accident
is just off of that theater
lane. And we saw earlier some
power lines that were down.
So it’s you have to just this
is one of those days where you
really have to proceed with
caution.
>> And I know this morning
around the time we broke into
programming with breaking news
of that. it was really at that
point just yet impacting
traffic. That was during the
prime time of folks. morning
commute and so now, you know,
45 minutes later, we’re still
dealing with some residual
impacts in that area.
>> Yeah, that’s right. Even if
I take a look at the traffic
map this morning and take a
look at the road. So this area
earlier word is bumper to
bumper Traffic was at a
complete standstill and at
least right now they are seeing
some relief in some areas.
But if you’re closer to where
that accident is exactly where
it is, you’re going to see that
shut down at 0 miles per hour.
We usually never see that
purple on the map. But we are
now seeing that in. As you can
see, we have a first responder
crews on site. We have a few
guys, you know, out and about
kind of working that scene.
So that area just completely
shut down. It’s just one of
those days where if you haven’t
planned ahead, you are going
to be sitting.
>> I know. And if people are
watching us right now or at
least listening to us, they’re
going to want to take alternate
routes. Do we have any made
Justin of that could show folks
how to navigate this mess out
there right now.
>> Yeah, well, I’m still
working on alternate routes,
but what I can tell you is that
if you decide to head out that
way, you I know that West Linn
is closed. So you can use an
alternate like Wests you.
That’s probably a good one.
If you do decide to head out
otherwise it’s just to stay on
those apps and not try to use
those side streets to really
get around that Peter Lane.
Yeah, according to authorities,
this is all because of downed
power lines causing traffic
delays at Southwest Freeway
in Newcastle. If you’re looking
at your screen right now, you
will see a large presence of
emergency responders just off
the beneath the freeway on the
feeder road. It appears there
has been some sort of incident
in that area that could have
caused these power lines to
come crashing down. And we know
that it really is impacting
people’s morning commute on
this Thursday morning. This
initially happened not too long
9 o’clock we broke into
programming with this breaking
news event at around 8.50.
And that is when we began
seeing those drive times really
slow down in in in in become
stalled in some spots. I know
we’re getting a lot calls in.
>> To the NEWSROOM about what’s
happening. This is what’s
happening. You’re taking a live
look from Sky 2 of the
situation that’s just beneath
the Southwest Freeway. Justin,
are we seeing improvements in
those drive times 40 minutes?
45 minutes after the fact.
>> Yeah. If I skip along to
our drive times this morning,
usually OK, so around this
hour, we know traffic is ways
really picking up in. We’re
seeing those bumper about
delays and then some easing
towards 10 o’clock. But it
looks like your drive times are
pretty typical right now.
So like coming in from Sugar
Land, you’re looking at about
37 minutes, but you’re going to
see that slow drive time as
you’re coming back out from
the city so to slow right now.
And I’m guessing as the morning
goes on and they work to clear
that hopefully it’s some of the
slowdowns are alleviated, but
I’m even going back out to the
chopper. You could see multiple
vehicles were involved in this
accident. I know when they
panned all of the fire trucks
we even There we go. We saw
some of those vehicles just
off to the side. The airbags
were I counted at least 3
vehicles under that bridge and
apparently they’re supposed to
be at least 5 involved. So it’s
just going to take some time
for them to clear this,
especially when power lines
are involved, it can get pretty
tricky. So just how to keep it
safe. And as you can see the
freeway itself is moving.
But if you’re traveling on
that, that exit ramp there,
that’s that’s where the problem
is going to be. And that is
welcoming news to traffic along
the freeway moving.
>> I know earlier that was the
case. You can see though, right
there, the the impact that is
having on those southbound
lanes traffic is certainly
building as people making their
way south on 59. But, you know,
the good news now is it appears
to be moving. We do know that
we saw crews setting up on them
cones at the Wesleyan exit.
So if you are hoping to get off
there, you’re going to have to
come up with another plan
because you’re not going to be
allowed to
do so. These are the drive
times in. Justin, I know you
pointed out just minutes ago,
it’s not every day you see that
purple on the map.
>> Yeah, not every day at That
purple is it’s it’s it’s very I
would say new. But it’s it’s
different because we know we
always see the the Reds in the
yellow indicating slowdowns or
bumper to bumper delays when we
have a typical accident, right?
Like 2 vehicle accidents are
just on the freeway. But that
purple indicates that it’s just
completely shut down in the
area. And you see that 0 miles
per hour. Just just just not
moving all lanes blocked in.
It makes sense, especially when
you have power lines down and
get his, it can get pretty
tricky.
>> Yeah, I know I I’m talking
as you’re talking. I just seen
I’m getting an update from our
producers there talking to the
desk to see about what more
information they can gather
from what’s happening here.
But again, if you are just
tuning in, we are following
updates regarding these downed
power lines that shut down 69
the Southwest Freeway at
Newcastle for several minutes
this morning. Really, really
impacting people’s Thursday
morning commute. Police have
not said why the power lines
are down in the area, but we
can see from Sky 2, there
appears to be heavy damage to
2 in that area. We can see
crews sweeping up debris in
the on just beneath the highway
there. Again, the good news at
9.41. Almost an hour after the
initial call came in traffic
does appear to be moving.
>> The Southwest Freeway.
So that is really great news.
But if you are trying to
navigate through that area,
you’re going to have to come up
with an alternate route and
be patient on the roads as as
folks try to allow traffic to
move on by any Just since we’ve
been on the air.
>> No, I wouldn’t say I would.
I would just say the biggest
improvement the interstate
right? Because we saw those
major bumper to bumper delays
earlier. And a lot of those
areas that I’m checking back on
with the traffic cameras.
They’re now moving. So that is
the biggest improvement is just
the major interstate there.
And then just kind of seeing
these guys out and about right
now working that scene as
they’re out you even see some
cars kind of going by around
that turnaround lane. But, you
know, while they’re out there,
you just want to proceed with
caution and try to take the
part of the interstate that is
not completely shut down and
you see traffic moving. So this
this is good news, especially
those who are traveling in that
area on the Southwest Freeway
looks a lot better than what
we initially saw about 30
minutes ago. Yeah, 30 minutes
ago it was at a standstill.
You know, some folks for.
>> Reporting one miles per
hour. You know, sitting on on
on 69 police again have not
said why the power lines are
down in that area. But we are
continuing to follow this
developing story and we will
bring you the latest on air
and online at click 2 Houston
dot com. But and from what we
can tell from Sky 2 right now,
traffic does appear to be
moving once again on. 59 crews
remain on
the scene just beneath highway.
And as we know, this happened
during
prime time Thursday morning
commute, folks trying going to
work. Thankfully, the weather
is nice today. So we’re not
having to deal with any impact
on traffic from the weather.
But this certainly did stall
the morning commute for
thousands of people. We know
Justin and this is a main
artery for folks in the Houston
area.
>> Oh, for me, my commute.
I was saying, you know, I’m
going to be stuck because my
all that closure, those bumper
to bumper delays. But it looks
like, like I said, these crews
are working. It looks like on
the high were at least able
to get by. But if you’re taking
that, that that side road, that
theater lane that’s going to be
that main issue there. So, of
course, it looks like we’re
we’re actually looking at a
fire truck kind of drive off
there. I’m not sure if this
that they’re going to stay on
scene or if they’re heading
out. But we are looking at some
movement there and we do see
that vehicle of multiple
vehicles that were impacted
underneath that bridge. There.
Just just still in that area.
So down, power lines, first
responders, people walking
around, just be cautious in
that area. And we, of course,
will continue to follow this
developing story and bring you
the very latest on air and
online at click 2 Houston dot