Fog impacts travel on Lake Pontchartrain Causeway after numerous crashes closed bridge on Tuesday
Nearly 54 million people from Texas to the mid-Atlantic were placed under Dense Fog Advisories on Wednesday morning, including along the Gulf Coast where Tuesday’s incident occurred.
Dense fog limits visibility impacting travel across South
Millions of people from Texas to the mid-Atlantic have been placed under Dense Fog Advisories on Wednesday just one day after numerous crashes forced officials to close the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway outside New Orleans.
NEW ORLEANS – Travel has again been slowed on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway outside New Orleans one day after numerous crashes caused by foggy conditions forced officials to close the span for hours.
Nearly 54 million people from Texas to the mid-Atlantic were placed under Dense Fog Advisories on Wednesday morning, including along the northern Gulf Coast where Tuesday’s incident occurred.
The National Weather Service (NWS) office in New Orleans said low visibility due to the fog in southeastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi led to potentially dangerous driving conditions across the region, with forecasters urging drivers to lower their speeds until conditions improve.
Watch: Dense fog leads to numerous crashes on Lake Pontchartrain Causeway
A video shared by the St. Tammany Parish Fire District #4 shows the foggy conditions that led to numerous crashes and closure of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024.
According to officials, police and first responders were monitoring the situation and said that due to the poor visibility, motorcycles, RVs and glass trucks were not allowed to drive the span.
Dozens of vehicles were involved in Tuesday's pileup and officials said at least 36 people needed to be taken off the bridge because their vehicles were too heavily damaged.
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Multiple car pileup due to fog on Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Bridge
The Louisiana Department of Transportation closed the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Bridge on Tuesday after multiple cars crashed due to fog (Video Credit: WVUE).
Several injuries were also reported when the crashes occurred.
"The Godsend in this is that everybody’s going to be okay," Lake Pontchartrain Causeway General Manager Carlton Dufrechou said. "No one was seriously injured from what I’ve heard."
The bridge had been closed for more than eight hours because of the fog and crashes before being reopened late Tuesday afternoon.