I-10 closed – Freeze warning sign on highway — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Brian A Jackson
Since Tuesday night, I-10 has been closed due to snowfall of up to 10 inches in the Panhandle.
I-10 opens a section of the route.
The Florida Department of Transportation said that portions of Interstate 10 will reopen exclusively for westbound traffic at 2:00 p.m.
At 2 p.m., I-10’s westbound lanes will reopen from mile marker 70, which is close to State Road 285, to the Alabama-Florida state line.
The government advised drivers to look for alternate routes until further notice, but more I-10 segments may reopen later today.
“As our crews continue to work around the clock, FDOT reminds travelers to drive with caution as winter weather and icy conditions are still present and while we work with law enforcement to re-open the entire corridor,” the department stated in a statement.
Since Interstate 10 was closed from the Alabama/Florida border all the way to Tallahassee, it was evident that drivers were using State Road 4 and U.S. Highway 90 to go through the middle of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, which were hardest hit by the snow.
Tuesday’s storm dumped 10 inches of snow on Milton and 8.9 inches on Pensacola. When temperatures dropped as low as 18 degrees on Wednesday and 23 degrees on Thursday morning, 12 degrees below the temperature reported at Wasilla Airport in Alaska, a large portion of the snow later turned to ice.
It was also evident that not everyone was making it to their destination, as several reports of disabled automobiles blocking roads prevented drivers from navigating the ice mess they had come across.
Around 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office reported that a semi-truck accident was causing significant traffic jams on U.S. 90 at SA Jones Road. Locals were advised to stay away from overnight travel, especially along US 90.
Shortly after midnight, the Sheriff’s Office decided to block access to U.S. 90 from Canal Street in downtown Milton to the Okaloosa County border, except for emergency services. When the sun rose on Thursday, that road was once again available.
For a while late Wednesday and early Thursday, Escambia County also blocked U.S. 90 to the Santa Rosa County border.
After being open for a brief period on Wednesday, the Three Mile Bridge that connects Pensacola to Pensacola Beach was ordered closed once more due to the accumulation of ice on it. In a 9:30 a.m. update, Santa Rosa County said that it had reopened, but advised drivers to travel extremely carefully in still dangerous conditions.
From the Bayou Chico Bridge to Weis Lane, State Road 292/Barrancas Avenue in Pensacola was closed in all directions. On Thursday morning, officials once more requested that citizens avoid using any city roadways until the situation improved.
Early Thursday morning, southbound traffic was prohibited from crossing the Yellow River Bridge on SR 87 in Santa Rosa County. The bridge has been reopened to one lane of traffic, according to the county report at 9:30 a.m. Drivers were advised to approach the area with utmost caution and to abide by the directives for alternating traffic flow.
At 10 a.m. on Thursday, Santa Rosa County declared that public works teams had started assessing a few of the county’s main roads. Due to highly icy conditions, travelers were advised to stay off Quintette Road from Alderbrook Boulevard (Ashley Plantation Subdivision) north to the Escambia County Line and Munson Highway from Highway 4 north to the Alabama line.
“As temperatures rise and ice loosens, crews will grate icy areas to improve roadway safety,” said the press release.
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Born and raised in South Florida, Krystal is a recent graduate from the University of Miami with professional writing experience at the collegiate and national news outlet levels. She’s a foodie who loves all things travel, the beach, & visiting new places throughout Florida.