40-50 vehicles involved in multiple accidents on Causeway Bridge; Overflow closed due to fog

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Multiple accidents involving an estimated 40 to 50 vehicles shut down the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Bridge in both directions Tuesday morning (Dec. 17).

The Fox 8 Weather Authority team was tracking lake fog over the lake. The warning for thick sea fog was in effect until 9 a.m. According to the National Weather Service in New Orleans, visibility was reduced to less than a mile over portions of the lake, including the bridge.

The harrowing video Fox 8 captured from the crash site shows several vehicles, including at least one 18-wheeler, in a mangled mess. Some vehicles apparently suffered fire damage.

St. Tammany Parish officials said several people were hospitalized.

The Causeway Bridge is expected to remain closed until the afternoon.

Around 10 a.m., the DOTD closed the Bonnet Carre Spillway due to heavy fog.

I-10 West is closed to traffic at mile marker 217 (Bonnet Carre Spillway Bridge) due to dense fog. Drivers are advised to use an alternative route. The traffic jams are minimal.

– New Orleans Traffic (@NOLA_Traffic) December 17, 2024