Crews begin repairing separation on I-35E in Carrollton

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Part of a busy North Texas highway has buckled, apparently because of all the recent rain. It is now closed for repairs.

Northbound Interstate 35E in Carrollton started separating Tuesday evening and caused several serious accidents.

The first crash happened just before 8 p.m. just before Belt Line Road. Carrollton police said an officer was involved in another crash. The police squad car was damaged but the officer was not hurt.

Officials shut down all northbound lanes of the interstate Tuesday night as a precaution, causing a major traffic backup. All drivers were forced to exit and take the service road.

The Texas Department of Transportation said the I-35E managed lanes are now being switched to northbound to help relieve the congestion. Drivers won’t be charged tolls on the managed lanes until after the repairs are done.

Crews have already started on repairs, including fixing some guardrail damage. They hope to reopen the main lanes of the interstate before the afternoon rush hour.

The lanes will close again overnight for further maintenance, TxDOT said.