Fast-tracking Home on I-10 Today - Thursday, November 11, 2021

This morning, Susan and I made it out of our Biloxi, Missisippi, hotel at 5 am for the long drive home to San Antonio. We took a turn to the north and connected with I-10 West. It is 624 miles to Susan's house from Biloxi. We hit cruise control and took turns driving with very few stops. 

We took breaks at a couple of rest areas and were delayed by one major accident. The freeway was at a complete standstill. On GPS, we could see that the accident was about three miles ahead of us. We missed the first exit we could have taken, and by the time we reached the next exit, we knew that I-10 was completely shut down (thanks to the Louisiana Department of Transportation's website).

At the exit we took, still a mile or so from the wreck, most people were turning left. I turned right. We found the freeway access road and made it almost to the next exit. Of course, there was a line of cars backed up on the access road, but nothing like what was on the freeway. 

As we crept forward, the overpass where the accident happened came into view. OMG. Two semi-trucks had flipped on their sides (it looked like they had collided), one landed on the hood and windshield of a small import car. The other semi's wheels were up and packages were strewn across the freeway. A pickup truck was to the right of the small import car and two SUVs were in the grassy center median of the freeway. One SUV was spun around facing back the way it had come. Both directions of the freeway were shut down so emergency vehicles could work unobstructed. It took us about an hour to get through that.

In the photo below, you can see that the I-10 overpass is completely blocked by the tangle of vehicles and the responding emergency vehicles. The cars in the foreground are all the vehicles exiting the freeway. At this point, we are on the access road next to the off-ramp.

The accident on the I-10 overpass.

After a short lunch stop, we passed through Houston 3-1/2 hours after we passed the wreck. It was 12:35 pm. 

Downtown Houston coming up.

I dropped Susan off at her house at 3:45 pm. Then I headed home. 

Once home, I had to unpack the car, do laundry for the week, and then re-pack the 5th wheel for our trip on Friday to Canyon of the Eagles Resort and Nature Park. Whew! This is a whirlwind of trips!