U.S. 377 still closed in Roanoke as crews clean up train derailment

U.S. 377 between Roanoke and Flower Mound remained closed Monday as crews worked to clear damage from a Union Pacific train derailment along the two-lane highway.

Officials planned to open the road from 6 to 9 a.m. Tuesday for morning commuters, close it down and then re-open it at 3 p.m. Tuesday, said Union Pacific spokesman Jeff DeGraff.

The derailment happened at about 6 p.m. Sunday in a rural part of Roanoke, sending 26 rail cars off the tracks, including five into Denton Creek.

By 1 p.m. Monday, crews had cleared and hauled away 22 of the cars, DeGraff said.

Union Pacific officials were still investigating the cause of the derailment, but crews were working Monday to repair the bridge above Denton Creek.

Det. Sandy Pettigrew, a Roanoke police spokeswoman, said the bridge appeared to have failed. DeGraff said workers needed to replace track along the bridge and “address some of the piers.” Repairs could take several days.

“There’s considerable work to be done on the bridge,” DeGraff said.

No injuries were reported in the derailment. The train cars were hauling coal, so there was no threat of hazardous materials spilling into the creek, which feeds into Grapevine Lake.

Police first closed the southbound lane of U.S. 377 from Cross Timbers Road in Flower Mound to Bobcat Boulevard. Both lanes of the highway were closed later Sunday night.

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This story was originally published August 22, 2016 at 2:39 PM with the headline "U.S. 377 still closed in Roanoke as crews clean up train derailment."