On Tuesday (Dec. 17), a sequence of six incidents involving more than 40 automobiles shut down the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Bridge in both directions for approximately seven hours.
The Fox 8 Weather Authority Team was watching marine fog above the lake. A Marine Dense Fog advisory remained in effect until 9 a.m. The National Weather Service in New Orleans reports that visibility over areas of the lake, including the bridge, has been reduced to less than a mile.
Fox 8 got harrowing video from the crash site, which shows many automobiles, including at least one 18-wheeler, smashed together. Some automobiles looked to have suffered fire damage.
St. Tammany Fire District #4 reported that thirty-three persons were hospitalized. Most of the injuries were minor, and none were life-threatening. The bridge reopened at about 4:15 p.m. The northbound lanes have a detour that leads traffic to the southbound side for a few miles.
According to Carlton Dufrechou, general manager of the Causeway Bridge, the crashes began at 8:30 a.m., when a dense blanket of fog blew in unexpectedly, reducing visibility to less than a tenth of a mile.
“It’s possible that fog was involved. “Some people were probably not paying attention as much as they should have,” he said. The most serious crash happened around the 18-mile marker on the southbound bridge. A second crash happened almost simultaneously on the northbound side, while a third occurred near the 8-mile sign. Causeway officials confirmed that a police officer attending to the first scene was rear-ended in one of the collisions but did not sustain major injuries.
Gary Cassard, a Fox 8 viewer caught on the bridge, described the situation as chaotic and terrifying.
“It was a domino effect,” Cassard explained. “The fog was so thick that you couldn’t see a block ahead.” I witnessed many automobiles collide, including an 18-wheeler, and heard what sounded like explosions behind me.” Cassard, who was near the 11.8-mile marker, reported that at least one person was removed from a crash with a fractured leg.
St. Tammany Parish PIO Michael Vinsanau observed the difficulty of removing the bridge due to the large number of damaged automobiles and debris.
“This is a massive undertaking. “The majority of the wrecks occurred between the 10- and 18-mile markers,” Vinsanau said. “Getting the existing vehicles off the bridge that aren’t engaged in a wreck, as well as the ones that need to be towed. We are taking two lanes for 25 miles. So this is not a light undertaking; it will take some time.”
Dufrechou repeated pleas for vigilance on foggy roads, claiming that these incidents were preventable.
“Pay attention while you’re driving, please,” he asked. By noon, the Causeway Bridge had remained closed in both directions. The Bonnet Carré Spillway was also momentarily closed owing to fog, however it has now reopened.
Commuters coming south from the North Shore should choose an alternate route, such as the Twin Span through Slidell or I-55. Another probability of sea fog is forecast over the lakes and coastal areas on Wednesday morning.
Reference: Six crashes on Causeway Bridge involve 40+ vehicles, leave 33 injured