BATON ROUGE – A wintry mix of freezing rain and sleet has left an icy mess across parts of south Louisiana with multiple road closures.
LIVE UPDATES
3:40 p.m.: I-110 northbound, I-10 & all Livingston roadways reopen
DOTD announces that all lanes of Interstate 10 between I-49 and La. 415 (Lobdell) are now open to traffic.
All roads & bridges in Livingston Parish are open. Parish offices will be open tomorrow. Tomorrow will be very cold, but it doesn’t seem like there will be any emergency weather. If things change, we will update accordingly.
2:30 p.m.: Portions of I-12 reopen
I-12 westbound at Airline is now open in East Baton Rouge Parish
12:30 p.m.: Aubudon Bridge now reopen
11:20 a.m.: Parts of I-10 opening and some remain closed
The following section of Interstate 10 is now OPEN:
- I-10 westbound from Henderson to the I-10/I-49 interchange
The following sections of Interstate 10 remain CLOSED:
- I-10 eastbound from Lafayette to La. 415 (Lobdell)
- I-10 westbound from La. 415 (Lobdell) to Henderson
10:40 a.m.: U.S. 190 remains open between Baton Rouge and Lafayette
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) announces that while portions of I-10 between Baton Rouge and Lafayette remain closed due to winter weather, U.S. 190 remains open at this time. Portions of I-20 in the northern part of the state remain closed as well.
As a reminder, there are still winter weather conditions around the state and motorists are urged to remain off the roadways unless travel is absolutely essential.
DOTD crews around the state have been working throughout the night to salt the roads and keep priority routes, such as U.S. 190, U.S. 61, and U.S. 80, open for as long as possible. However, roads will be closed when conditions become too hazardous.
DOTD urges motorists to stay off the roads during hazardous driving conditions. DOTD will do everything it can to keep priority routes open in the event of freezing rain, sleet, or snow, and will prioritize the maintenance and opening of routes based on traffic volumes. If you must drive, check 511la.org for road closures.
10:30 a.m.: Twin Spans reopen
The I-10 Twin Spans have reopened.
8:05 a.m.: Sunshine Bridge reopens
After an overnight closure, the Sunshine Bridge has been reopened, but the roadway remains icy. Use caution.
8 a.m.: Major road closures due to icy conditions
I-12 westbound is currently closed at the Holden overpass. The bridges are iced over.
Baton Rouge Police is closing I-10 west bound at College Dr.Officers are directing drivers on the interstate to exit onto College Dr. The entrance ramps to I-10 west bound at College Dr and Acadian are closed. The east bound Washington St. entrance ramp at I-10 is closed. West bound I-12 traffic is being directed onto Airline Hwy. Officers have barricades near the west bound Airline Hwy / I-12 and Essen Lane / I-12 entrance ramps.
I-10 Westbound is closed from Siegen Lane to LA 415 due to icy conditions
Ice on I-10 Eastbound near Bayou la Branch MM (211). All Lanes Blocked.
Ice on I-55 Southbound near South Slough MM (23). All Lanes Blocked.
Ice on I-10 Westbound near I-310 Southbound MM (220). All Lanes Blocked.
Central Thruway: North bound closed. South bound lane open. EBR Sheriff’s Office has shut down at Hamilton
Assumption/ St. Mary Parish to Lafourche Parish – US Hwy 90 between the Amelia Bridge (milepost 182) and LA Hwy 182 (milepost 210) in Raceland is closed in both directions due to ice forming on multiple sections of the roadway.
St. John the Baptist Parish – The Veterans Memorial Bridge ( LA Hwy 3213) has been closed in both directions due to ice forming on the roadway.
ASCENSION ROAD CLOSURES:
ROAD CLOASURES DUE TO WEATHER:
OLD JEFFERSON HWY @ MACKAY RD (Prairieville)
HWY 74@I10 Overpass
HWY 621 @ TIGGY DUPLESSIS RD (Gonzales)
I10 WB
N ROBERT WILSON RD @ S ROBERT WILSON RD (Gonzales)
Hwy 22 @ I10
AIRLINE HWY @ MANCHAC PARK (Prairieville)
BLUFF RD @I10
HWY 70 @ BRADY ST (Sorrento)
Airline Hwy @I10
HWY 431 @ SUMMERFIELD RD (Prairieville)
HWY 44 @ LEVEE RD (Darrow)
EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH ROAD CLOSURES:
Burbank Dr @ S Kenilworth Pkwy
Central Thwy @ Hamilton
Interstate 10 WB – entire route
Interstate 110
Interstate 12 WB – Airline Hwy to I-10
Jones Creek Rd @ Bellacosa Ave
Pecue Ln overpass over I-10
S Flannery Rd @ Old Hammond Hwy
Siegen Ln railroad overpass
Staring Ln @ Avis Dr
Staring Ln @ Burbank Dr
11:00 p.m.: I-110 closure
Complete closure of I-110 north and southbound between Hwy. 61 and I-10
10:30 p.m.: I-49 in St. Landry Parish closed
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announces that due to rapidly deteriorating road conditions, Interstate 49 northbound at La. 10 (Lebeau) is closed to the traveling public.
To travel north, motorists are advised to detour utilizing La. 10 to U.S. 71.
8:45 p.m.: Atchafalaya Basin Bridge closed
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announces that as a result of winter weather impacts, Interstate 10 is now closed in the east and westbound direction from La. 415 (Lobdell) to the base of the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge in St. Martin Parish.
Motorists are advised to stay off the roadways as many roads are becoming impassable due to the winter weather conditions.
If travel is essential, DOTD urges motorists to use extra caution when traveling on roadways during hazardous weather conditions especially while traveling over bridges and elevated roadways and stay off the roads whenever possible.
DOTD crews will continue to monitor state bridges and roadways.
4:03 p.m. : Ascension Parish declares state of emergency
Ascension Parish has declared a state of emergency ahead of the wintry mix forecast to impact the area overnight Monday.
“This declaration grants the authority to take immediate measures to ensure the safety, health,
and welfare of the citizens of Ascension Parish.”
2:30 p.m.: All Louisiana state offices will be closed Tuesday
State offices across Louisiana will be closed Tuesday due to the winter weather impacts across the state. Essential personnel should check in with their managers.
11:55 a.m.: Local shelter announced due to frigid temps
Christ’s Community Church in Denham Springs is opening a shelter starting at 5 p.m. Monday.
The church is soliciting breakfast food, drinks for kids and games. You can drop those items off at the church starting at 3:30 p.m. Monday.
11:45 a.m.: School closures announced
Several local school districts including East Baton Rouge Parish have announced that classes will be canceled Tuesday, January 16.
Read More: List of school closures due to winter blast
WHAT TO EXPECT
A Winter Weather Advisory will be in effect from 6 p.m. Monday through 9 a.m. Tuesday. Light rain will gradually transition to freezing rain, resulting in light ice accumulations, according to the National Weather Service. While the possibility of light ice exists, major accumulations are not anticipated.
The majority of the ice impacts will likely be north of I-10, although some freezing rain is possible in parts of Ascension, Assumption, and Iberville parishes.
TIMELINE OF WINTER WEATHER
Monday: Light rain will increase throughout the day, with highs in the upper 40s to low 50s.
Monday night: Freezing rain is expected for the northwest areas of the Baton Rouge area, leading to minor ice accumulations. Sleet and freezing rain are more likely between Lafayette and Baton Rouge. Dangerous cold is set to move in overnight from Monday into Tuesday morning, with temperatures dropping below freezing. Wind chills will be in the teens to single digits.
Tuesday: The rain and wintry precipitation will exit during the overnight hours. It will be a bitterly cold day, with highs in the 30s and wind chills in the 20s.
Tuesday night: A Hard Freeze Warning will be in effect from 10 p.m. Tuesday until 10 a.m. Wednesday. The dangerous wind chill continues, with ‘feels-like’ temperatures in the teens and even single digits for some. The NWS forecasts Southeast Louisiana to be below freezing for 9-14 hours (some areas will be below freezing for 14-22 hours).
Wednesday: Temperatures will start warming into the 40s with sunny skies. Temperatures are expected to dip below or near freezing on Wednesday night.
This is a developing story. Check back often for new information.
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