For those of you in North Louisiana, DOTD is urging you to stay off the roads once again today, if you possibly can. Spokeswoman Erin Buchanan says that especially includes I-20.
“We’ve had numerous stopped or stalled 18-wheelers on the interstate, particularly at I-20 Westbound through that area. And our crews, along with state police and National Guard and everybody, have been working around the clock to clear it,” Buchanan said.
Buchanan says those stalled 18-wheelers on I-20 are making the roadway nearly impassable, in some cases stranding people in frigid conditions for hours.
“We’ve got a very slow flow of traffic that’s ongoing and moving, but definitely slow. and definitely trying to get people that have been there for a very long time out of there,” Buchanan said.
Buchanan says they’re trying to help those stranded people as best as they can.
“We do have emergency response teams that are going through and providing supplies to people, in addition to our own crews that are out there working,” Buchanan noted.
Buchanan says temperatures should start to warm up today to the point that the ice should start to melt and traffic can start moving again. But in the meantime, DOTD has its crews out on roadways clearing the ice as much as possible.