ALPINE — A Brownsville man working as a border wall contractor was arrested Tuesday after his truck trailer loaded with a small excavator smashed into the railroad bridge on Highway 90 heading into Alpine, according to reports from the City of Alpine and Alpine Police Department.
Arrested was Eder Nieto, 39, charged with driving an over-height vehicle into a bridge — normally just a citation, but the charge was increased to a class B misdemeanor because Nieto did not have the proper license and permits, according to Alpine police. That meant a trip to Brewster County Jail, where Nieto was released on bond. (Due to the Sheriff’s Department’s computer troubles today, it was unclear what the bond was.) Class B misdemeanors are punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.
Nieto joins a rather big club with growing members of truckers who have collided with the 14-foot-three-inches tall railroad bridge, which formerly was even lower at 13-feet-seven-inches tall. It’s uncertain how many collisions have occurred in the history of the bridge, but Alpine residents commenting on Facebook count at least three in the past couple of years, and this reporter has anecdotes from truckers who made the mistake back to the 1970s.
A full report from Alpine police was not yet available, so it’s uncertain whether additional information in those reports will identify who exactly Nieto was working for. Public records show Nieto as a long-haul truck driver, and he also has at least two citations in those records for not having a proper commercial license or correct permits and for failure to appear in court to address them. Nieto could not be reached for comment.
While truckers colliding with the bridge may seem like a “D’oh!” moment of a major mistake, it can have significant impacts, forcing many drivers to access Marfa or Alpine via Fort Davis, costing time and gas money. Highway 90 entering Alpine and a recommended diversion through Fort Davis were still in place Thursday afternoon, although the detour route on Mosely Loop — well known to most locals — was open.
Alpine Mayor Catherine Eaves said Thursday that the road closures can have a significant impact on tourism revenue. “I had a friend in Marfa tell me there were visitors there that were going to come to Alpine to stay, but they couldn’t get here, so they just stayed in Fort Davis,” she said. It also costs the railroad, Union Pacific, and state tax money in repairs, she added.
Numerous social media comments from Alpine residents questioned why the ongoing situation had not been fixed. TxDOT, which is responsible for maintaining Highway 90, held public workshops and did a study to look at options in 2024. Ultimately, the height upgrade and new warning signs were accompanied by a metal yellow bar in front of the bridge to protect it.
Eaves recalled several hi-tech options like having lasers set at the minimum height needed — one on the east and west side of the bridge — which, when triggered by offending trucks, would illuminate flashing warning signs. But she was more curious about a lower-tech solution mentioned by many social media commenters who wondered why you wouldn’t place a swinging metal bar well before the actual bridge, letting trucks smash into it first.
