Pole downed by 18-wheeler in Marble Falls; hundreds without power along RR 1431 for more than an hour
MARBLE FALLS — A tractor-trailer rig headed east on RR 1431 snagged an overhead utility line about 1:15 p.m July 26, knocking out power to about 250 Pedernales Electric Co-op customers for 68 minutes.
One of those customers was Victory Publishing Co. Ltd., the owner of this website and The Picayune weekly newspaper, which was nearing deadline to make it to the press. The newspaper temporarily relocated operations to Highland Publishing Co. Inc.
Meanwhile, the rig caught power lines running across the 1000 block of 1431 just east of H-E-B.
Trey Grebe, PEC district manager, said when the 18-wheeler caught the lines and stretched them, the force snapped a power pole on the north side of the street.
“It knocked out power from about McDonald’s (at Northwood Drive and RR 1431) on down (to the east),” said Kay Jarvis of PEC.
Power was restored to most PEC customers shortly before 2:30 p.m., Jarvis said.
With power lines hanging low across the street, police rerouted westbound traffic off 1431 to Avenue K and then to Mission Hill.
Officers directed eastbound traffic around the power lines through Avenue L and Broadway.
Grebe said the power was restored for most customers once crews were able to rework the damaged line.
By 6 p.m., a new pole was in place and the lines were restrung across the roadway.
Within minutes of the accident, PEC crews were on site making repairs.
Police reported no major traffic problems.