W Hotel To Shut Down Temporarily, Replace Glass Panels

Updated 10:20pm: The developer of the W Hotel in downtown Austin says the hotel will close temporarily, and all the glass panels on the building's exterior balconies will be replaced. 

That's after more panels shattered and fell from the building Tuesday.

The developer says the panels should be removed within a week, and traffic around the building will be impacted during the process. Some lanes on Guadalupe and Lavaca Streets will be shut down. Third Street will be closed.

Earlier: Austin police confirm that three more glass panels have fallen from balconies at the W Hotel building near West 2nd and Lavaca Streets.

The panels, on the exterior of the south-facing balconies, apparently gave way and fell several stories after 4:00 pm today. No one has been reported injured. Just yesterday, three other panels fell to the street below.

Police have closed lanes of Lavaca, Guadalupe, West 2nd and West 3rd Streets around the hotel's perimeter. There's no estimate when those lanes will reopen. Statesman.com reported late this afternoon that the building's owner were closing the W Hotel until further notice.