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Louisiana Thanksgiving Travel: Road Treatments Can't Stop All Ice
Baton Rouge, LA – Louisiana drivers preparing for Thanksgiving travel along Interstate 10 should know that even a treated highway can become dangerously icy if freezing weather develops. Bridges and e
By Wesley Grant · 2026-11-11T19:23:26.632Z
Baton Rouge, LA – Louisiana drivers preparing for Thanksgiving travel along Interstate 10 should know that even a treated highway can become dangerously icy if freezing weather develops. Bridges and elevated interchanges are especially vulnerable, creating a hazard that may surprise motorists accustomed to the state's generally mild winters.
According to winter maintenance guidance from transportation agencies, conventional road salt becomes less effective as pavement temperatures approach 20 degrees Fahrenheit. But in Louisiana, a more immediate concern is moisture freezing on bridges and overpasses when temperatures drop near or below 32 degrees.
Why Treated Louisiana Highways Can Still Freeze Road salt and other deicing treatments help prevent or reduce ice buildup, but they cannot guarantee safe pavement under every condition.
Salt lowers water's freezing point, although its melting action slows as temperatures fall. Heavy precipitation can also dilute or wash away treatments, allowing ice to form or return.
That matters along I 10 through Lake Charles in Calcasieu Parish, Lafayette in Lafayette Parish, Baton Rouge in East Baton Rouge Parish and New Orleans in Orleans Parish.
Other major corridors, including I 20, I 49, I 12 and I 55, can also become hazardous during freezing weather.
Louisiana's numerous elevated bridges and highway interchanges deserve particular attention because exposed road surfaces can cool faster than surrounding pavement.
Thanksgiving Travel Raises the Stakes Thanksgiving falls Thursday, Nov. 26, bringing holiday travelers onto highways connecting Louisiana's major metropolitan areas and neighboring states.
If freezing rain, sleet or rapidly falling temperatures develop during the holiday travel period, treated roads could still become dangerously slick.
Motorists should be particularly cautious overnight and before sunrise, when temperatures are often lowest and thin ice can be difficult to recognize.
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development monitors winter weather conditions and coordinates highway treatment and closure decisions when necessary.
Before departing, drivers should check National Weather Service forecasts and Louisiana 511 for current highway conditions, bridge closures and travel alerts.
The bottom line: A treated interstate is not necessarily an ice free interstate. Slow down, increase following distances and never assume a bridge is safe simply because the roadway leading to it appears wet.