The Popp’s Ferry Bridge, the Biloxi Bay Bridge, the Lorraine Road bridge and the section of I-110 south of Division Street will remain closed through the evening and as late as mid-morning Thursday, Biloxi Police Chief John Miller said this evening.
“The icy conditions make these bridges impossible to cross safely,” Miller said. “We’re hoping that we’ll see them thaw pretty quickly Thursday morning, and, if conditions permit, we hope we’ll be able to re-open them mid-morning Thursday.”
Miller, meantime, said Biloxi had minimal traffic accidents over the past two days, a stark contrast to the 43 accidents that occurred in the icy conditions Friday evening.
“We had minimal accidents for the conditions we had,” he said. “I thought the public was great. I went out a few times myself and tried to travel over the same icy terrain they were riding on. Those who had to travel were taking it very slow and were very aware of what was going on around them.
“We certainly want to thank the public for avoiding travel, and for those who had to travel we were glad to see that they respected the conditions they were driving in.”
Weather forecast: To see the current conditions and weather advisories for Biloxi, from the National Weather Service, click here.
Weather-related scheduling, news and notes
Trash pickup: Residential garbage pickup is scheduled to take place Thursday, weather permitting, the city has been informed.
City offices: All Biloxi municipal departments and offices will open at their usual time Thursday morning. Employees are expected to be at work at their appointed time, or as soon as safely possible.
Municipal Court: Biloxi Municipal Court is scheduled to be in session at its appointed time Thursday. Those with cases pending should plan on appearing as scheduled.
Council meetings: The Biloxi City Council meeting scheduled for Thursday at 10:30 a.m. has been canceled. Instead, the council will hold two afternoon meetings: its regularly scheduled 1:30 p.m. meeting and a meeting immediately afterward, to discuss social service spending. To see the original agendas and supporting documents for both meetings, click here.
Public schools: Biloxi Public Schools will not conduct classes on Thursday; however, the day will be a Professional Development Day for staff. Staff members are expected to report to their respective schools at the times communicated by principals or supervisors.
Keesler: Keesler Air Force Base will re-open Thursday at 10 a.m. Emergency essential services will continue until then. Keesler warns personnel to exercise caution when traveling on slick surfaces. The base also note that even with the 10 a.m. re-opening, subordinate commanders may adjust reporting instructions to accommodate unique missions or personnel situations.
Public transit: CTA says fixed route service will operate as scheduled Thursday, but closed bridges may impact Route 4, serving D’Iberville/St. Martin, and Route 7, serving Ocean Springs. Service for senior centers and senior shopping will be canceled, but ADA service will operate as conditions allow. Beach bus stations will be closed Thursday.
County courthouses: Harrison County has reported that county facilities will re-open Thursday at 10 a.m.
Face it: Status reports are being posted more regularly on the city’s Facebook page. Like the page so updates will show in your newsfeed. Go to facebook.com/cobiloxi.
