Get the latest bridge closure/opening report across the three-county area

Staff Report

BRIDGE CLOSURE UPDATE: 10:30 A.M.

Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office is reporting these bridge closures/openings

CLOSED

Three Mile Bridge (Gulf Breeze to Pensacola)

OPEN

Garcon Point Bridge

Navarre Beach Causeway (per Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office)

Hwy. 87 (was closed due to motor vehicle accident)

I-10 bridges over Escambia and Blackwater Bays

Hwy. 90

BRIDGE CLOSURE UPDATE: 8:30 A.M.

All lanes of travel are now open on the U.S. 331 Bridge in Walton County.

Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office is reporting these bridge closures/openings

CLOSED

Garcon Point Bridge

Navarre Beach Causeway

Three Mile Bridge (Gulf Breeze to Pensacola)

Hwy. 87 South from Hickory Hammock to Vonnie Tolbert closed due to accident investigation

 

OPEN (but subject to change)

I-10 bridges over Escambia and Blackwater Bays

Hwy. 90

BRIDGE CLOSURE UPDATE: 8:05 A.M.

All lanes of travel are now open on the Cinco Bayou Bridge.

Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office has just reopened all lanes of travel on Brooks Bridge.

There are no longer bridge closures in Okaloosa County.

BRIDGE CLOSURE UPDATE: 7:45 A.M.

Rocky Bayou Bridge in Niceville has reopened, but icy conditions remain. Drive with caution.

Marler Bridge in Destin is open, but icy conditions remain in the westbound lanes. Drive with caution.

There has been no report that Mid-Bay Bridge has been closed to this point. Numerous social media posts report icy conditions. Drive with caution.

BRIDGE CLOSURE UPDATE: 7:35 A.M.

All lanes on the Cinco Bayou Bridge are closed.

ORIGINAL STORY

As you wake up Wednesday morning, be aware that a dangerous wind chill is present across the Emerald Coast.

The National Weather Service reported at 5:30 a.m. that surface observations detected a mix of light freezing rain, sleet and snow occurring across southeast Okaloosa County.

At 6 a.m. with the temperature hovering around 30 degrees, strong winds with gusts to 25 mph were dropping wind chill factors into the single digits and low-teens. That has prompted the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office to close Brooks Bridge due to icing which has already created an accident that closed the eastbound lanes to traffic.

Walton County Sheriff’s Office reported before 7 a.m. that the southbound lanes of the U.S. 331 bridge were being closed due to ice.

OCSO has also reported that State Road 85 North outside Crestview and the Blackmon area, all roads are icy. If driving use caution.

It has also been reported that the Marler Bridge in Destin is glazed in ice and extreme caution is necessary.

OCSO deputies are also reporting on the scanner that the Cinco Bayou and Shalimar bridges are both icing over. Patrol cars are attempting to slow traffic. At 7:30 a.m., deputies reported on the scanner that lanes of travel were being closed on the Shalimar bridge.

Also at 7:30 a.m., Niceville Police Department was closing the Rocky Bayou Bridge due to icing.

Scanner traffic is indicating a number of ice-related crashes across Okaloosa County. Drivers must be alert and aware of the dangerous conditions early in the morning due to ice.

The National Weather Service has extended a Wind Chill Advisory for Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties until 11 a.m.

According to the weather service, very cold wind chills are expected into the late morning. The cold wind chills will cause frostbite in as little as 30 minutes to exposed skin. Expect wind chills to range from 15 above zero to 5 above zero.

Roads will remain icy in spots, especially those in rural areas, overpasses and bridges, through at least the mid-morning hours. Icy patches will linger in shady areas throughout the day.

Hard Freeze Warning

Across the same four county area, a Hard Freeze Watch is in effect from 11 a.m. Wednesday until 9 a.m. Thursday.

While a dusting of snow didn’t occur overnight, ice is the major concern now due to wet roads and the extreme cold air and wind.

Both Wednesday and Thursday night the temperature will drop into the low- to mid-20s, with wind chill values dramatically lower.