The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Bridge in New Orleans just underwent a massive crash pileup of over 40 vehicles due to hazardous fog conditions. Footage of the incident that occurred in Louisiana showed the horrendous visibility on the longest bridge in America.
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Dangerous Fog Leads To Bridge Disaster
Early Tuesday morning, authorities had to temporarily shut down the bridge after 40 to 50 vehicles were involved in a myriad of crashes. It happened just before 9 AM which was just around when a Marine Dense Dog advisory was in effect, according to Fox 8.
The incident on both sides of the bridge left 20 people injured and 11 sent to the hospital. Soon after, they shut down the bridge and weren't sure when it would open next.
"It could take a couple of hours," Causeway General Manager Carlton Dufrechou told Nola.com. Fortunately, it seems all who sustained injuries would "be alright," as Dufrechou also said. The General Manager also blames the crashes on the fog and "rubber-necking."
?#BREAKING: Lake Pontchartrain Causeway the Longest Bridge in the U.S. was Temporarily Closed After Massive 40-50 Vehicle Crash occurred due to hazardous fog with Injuries
A video shared on social media demonstrated how drivers could barely see a mile ahead of them. Some of the vehicles seemed mostly intact with a few dents, while others had fallen over with parts brutally destroyed.
Around 30 people were stranded on the bridge, but at this point, they are safe and off of the bridge. The clean-up process may have taken the longest, due to all the damaged vehicles stuck on the Causeway.
Luckily, the Department of Transportation and Development has announced that they have reopened the bridge. Drivers should still be cautious of road and weather conditions, but the fog advisory has now passed.
More About Lake Pontchartrain Causeway
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The enormous double-parallel bridges stretch over 23 miles and connect Metairie and Mandeville, Lousiana. The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Bridge now holds the Guinness World Record for the longest continuous span over water in the entire world.
Although it used to be the longest bridge over water in the world, the Qingdao Jiaozhou Bay Bridge in China took that title in 2011.
The first southbound Causeway bridge opened in 1956, while the northbound bridge running parallel opened 13 years later in 1969.
