Precipitation gone; ice, road closures remain

After an afternoon of wintry precipitation, the precipitation has left Acadiana, but the slippery, icy roads and subsequent road closures remain.

Law enforcement officials are urging residents to continue to stay off the roads as they have yet to have a chance to start de-icing and many roads remain closed with more being added to list still.

In Acadia Parish:

- Interstate 10 between Crowley and Rayne was closed due to the icy overpass and roadway at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday night, according to the Department of Transportation and Development's website. The closure continues and extends from Exit 76 to Exit 87. 

- Wednesday morning, Louisiana State Police Troop I blocked the right lane of I-10 East at milepost 92 due to a crash. The left lane remains open to traffic.

- U.S. Highway 90 between Crowley and Rayne also remains closed. The icy overpass initially shut down the roadway at 10 a.m. Tuesday. The closure extends from Jacobs Avenue in Crowley to Llama Road in Rayne, according to the DOTD's website.

- The Mermentau River Bridge on U.S. 90 was initially closed at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. Officially extending from Second Street in Mermentau to Taylor Street on the otherside of the bridge, the icy bridge remains closed.

Elsewhere:

- State police have closed down I-10 in Lafayette and, minus a few potential sporadic openings, according to LSP, the interstate is closed from Lafayette to New Orleans. This includes the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge.

- Motorists needing to get to New Orleans are having a hard time as U.S. 90 has several other closures along the way. Interstate 12 is also closed from its split in Baton Rouge to Exit 57 (near Mandeville).

Temperatures in the area are not expeccted to rise above freezing until lunchtime at the earliest. Law enforcement agencies across the area are urging citizens to not take to the roads unless the must and use extreme caution when doing so.