Downtown Fort Worth street scheduled to reopen after Sandman Hotel explosion
FORT WORTH — A big step toward recovery for downtown businesses impacted by the Sandman Hotel explosion in January is imminent.
Fort Worth announced that 8th Street is scheduled to reopen in one week, maybe even a bit sooner.
Temporary pavement repairs are complete, but the restoration company still has to install steel plates over a pit next to the building before reopening the street. Some local businesses in the area said the ongoing construction zone is an eyesore that has prevented customers from stopping by.
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 doesn't have an update on when the Sandman Hotel will reopen.