Multiple crashes on bridge near MS-LA state line will cause traffic delays for hours

If you’re driving from the Mississippi Coast into Louisiana today, expect traffic delays for hours after multiple wrecks on the Pearl River Bridge.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation said around 8 a.m. Friday that Interstate 10 eastbound will be backed up for about two hours after the crashes.

Commuters who drive from Hancock County to Slidell, New Orleans or Covington should expect to be in traffic for a while, MDOT says.

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Hancock County authorities had not been made aware of injuries sustained in the wrecks by 8:15 a.m.

Taking I-10 is one of the only ways to get into Louisiana from the Coast right now, as the “back way” through Pearlington on Highway 90 is closed for a bridge repair.

An alternate route would be to take Interstate 59 through Picayune or Pearl River County, but that would add big commute times for many South Mississippi drivers, especially for those who live near or below I-10.

The Pearl River Bridge is a site of many wrecks, including when a semi-truck hauling BMWs caught fire there last year.

You can check for traffic updates in real time on MDOT’s traffic map.