Downtown Fort Worth street reopens to traffic after Sandman Hotel explosion

FORT WORTH — The street where the Sandman Hotel explosion in Downtown Fort Worth occurred over six months ago has opened to both foot and vehicle traffic.

The City of Fort Worth announced last week that 8th Street would reopen by the end of the month.

For the past few months, temporary pavement repairs have allowed pedestrian traffic through the area. Starting Monday, vehicles can pass through the area, and some parking has returned.

To protect drivers, steel plates have been placed over a pit next to the building. The crater was part of the damage from the blast to the surrounding area and is still in the process of being reconstructed.

Some local businesses in the area said the ongoing construction zone has been an eyesore that has prevented customers from stopping by. The hope is that the additional traffic on 8th Street will help the businesses and increase city revenue.

The city says it lost revenue during the initial emergency declaration along this area, which they would usually get from metered parking. The street closure also forced permit parking holders to relocate during the cleanup.

Twenty-one people were injured as a result of the explosion at the historic downtown Fort Worth hotel. The Fort Worth Fire Department says the blast caused two floors of the hotel to collapse into the basement.

Witnesses say the blast was so powerful, it shook the entire block and blew out windows at nearby buildings.

In the video of the aftermath, there is debris scattered across multiple blocks in downtown Fort Worth and large chunks of walls and window frames blown out.

The city says that the street will be reconstructed prior to the reopening of the hotel. However, there is no update on when the Sandman Hotel will reopen.