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Officials share improvements made since Queen Isabella Causeway collapse to prevent tragedy

2 years 6 months 1 day ago Wednesday, September 15 2021 Sep 15, 2021 September 15, 2021 11:22 PM September 15, 2021 in News - Local

It's been 20 years since the Queen Isabella Causeway collapse that claimed the lives of eight people, and for those that were there, it's a night that, even two decades later, remains crystal clear. 

The morning after the tragic event, despite the strong current, the damages were evaluated. A dive team began searching for the still submerged vehicles, and shortly after, a third section of the bridge collapsed.

According to the Texas Department of Transportation, the repairs for the damaged section of the causeway lasted two months. 

TxDOT spokesperson Octávio Saenz says safety features including a fiber optic emergency alert system that runs across the bridge and sends alert signals to drivers in case of an emergency, along with buffers to protect the bridge's columns from another hit were incorporated.

The Isabella Memorial Bridge, as it was later renamed in honor of the victims, is safer and better equipped to prevent any tragedy.

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