BATCHELOR – Authorities in Pointe Coupee had to close La. 1 Tuesday morning and asked DOTD to salt the highway as drivers navigated any way they could around a frozen I-10.

South Louisiana interstates shutdown between Baton Rouge and Lafayette and when other routes were shuttered due to record-setting winter weather this week, drivers found themselves on Pointe Coupee’s La. 1.  But, the highway traffic was not enough to keep the road surface from freezing over.

Vehicles, including many semis using the highway to move northwestward, ended up sliding off the highway.  La. 1 runs northwest from US 190 and ties in with Alexandria, an unusual route for truckers who may usually drive I-10 to I-49.  Regular routes were closed Monday and Tuesday because of icy conditions.

Overnight Monday and into Tuesday, authorities reported more than forty crashes.  A picture shared with WBRZ Tuesday morning showed a string of 18-wheelers had hit ice and slid off the highway. 

Authorities closed La. 1 in Pointe Coupee Parish Tuesday morning until lunchtime.  It re-opened after 12. 

Click HERE for the WBRZ traffic map.

Watch WBRZ newscasts streaming live here. 

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