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JACKSON, MISS. – The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) continues its response to the winter weather event statewide and continues to advise the public to stay off roads with reported icy conditions and to limit travel to emergencies only.
“Because of the sunshine and diligence of MDOT maintenance crews, conditions are beginning to improve across the state,” said Melinda McGrath, P.E., MDOT executive director. “MDOT forces will continue to work throughout the afternoon to clear as much ice off roads as possible before the sun goes down and a potential refreeze occurs.”
Road conditions are improving in west central Mississippi and into the southern portions of the Delta.
Areas of patchy ice remain in Bolivar, Humphreys, Issaquena, Sunflower and Washington counties; however, all interstates and major four-lane routes in these counties are passable.
The sunshine and moving traffic are contributing to improving conditions in Claiborne, Copiah, Jefferson, Warren and Yazoo Counties. Crews in these counties will continue spreading salt on major routes.
Efforts are beginning to be directed to secondary routes.
Counties in south Mississippi continue to report ice on roads and bridges, although conditions are improving.
Traffic on I-10 along the Gulf Coast and U.S. Highway 49 from Hattiesburg to Gulfport is flowing.
Crews continue to spread salt on I-59, U.S. Highway 98, U.S. Highway 84, State Route 613 and other major routes in the area.
Additionally, the State Route 63 hi-rise bridge has been reopened.
Counties in southwest Mississippi continue to report significant ice accumulation. Area crews, as well as crews from the Jackson-Metro, are actively placing salt and slag, spraying calcium chloride and plowing all major routes in the area.
“We continue to ask the public to remain off roads in affected areas so MDOT workers can do their job as safely and efficiently as possible,” McGrath said.
The following counties are reporting ice on roads and bridges:
Adams, Alcorn, Amite, Attala, Benton, Bolivar, Calhoun, Carroll, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Claiborne, Clarke, Clay, Coahoma, Copiah, Covington, DeSoto, Forrest, Franklin, George, Greene, Grenada, Hancock, Harrison, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Itawamba, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Lafayette, Lamar, Lawrence, Lee, Leflore, Lincoln, Lowndes, Marion, Marshall, Monroe, Montgomery, Oktibbeha, Panola, Pearl River, Perry, Pike, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Quitman, Sharkey, Simpson, Smith, Stone, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tippah, Tishomingo, Tunica, Union, Walthall, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Wilkinson, Winston, Yalobusha and Yazoo.
The following counties are clear for travel:
Hinds, Kemper, Lauderdale, Leake, Madison, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Rankin and Scott.
For complete coverage of MDOT’s response, click HERE.
For a list of routes that are impassable due to ice accumulation, bridges closed by local law enforcement and all counties with roads affected by winter weather conditions, click HERE.
For questions about road conditions, call 866-521-MDOT (6368).
To stay up-to-date on current road and travel conditions, visit MDOTtraffic.com, download the free MDOT Traffic mobile app or like and follow @MississippiDOT on Facebook and Twitter.
