Florida officials are opening highway shoulders to allow more room for evacuees amid dense traffic as Hurricane Milton approaches the state’s west coast.
The Tallahassee Democrat reported on Tuesday that authorities with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) were keeping their eyes on the traffic to be ready to open the shoulders to relieve traffic congestion.
WFLA reported later on Tuesday that “Emergency Shoulder Use [ESU] is being implemented for those evacuating parts of Florida due to Hurricane Milton.”
“FDOT is implementing ESU along I-4 and portions of I-75 to help the flow of traffic,” the outlet said.
An image shows a portion of the traffic as drivers moved north:
The news comes amid slow traffic in western Central Florida as residents flee before the hurricane makes landfall, per WFTV.
The hurricane is centered over 500 miles southwest of Tampa with up to 150 mile-per-hour winds, the Weather Channel reported on Tuesday:
Milton has grown in size over the last 24 hours, with tropical-storm-force winds now up to 105 miles from its center. It will continue to grow even larger on approach to Florida, which means its impacts will affect a big area.
Milton reached a maximum intensity of 180 mph on Monday, making it one of the most intense Atlantic Basin hurricanes on record.
An eyewall replacement cycle has caused Milton to undergo some decrease in intensity overnight, but it remains a serious threat to Florida.
In a social media post on Monday, FDOT shared video footage of vehicles on the roadway:
According to WFTV, there was major gridlock traffic on Tuesday morning along I-75 in Pasco County. The outlet noted Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) had suspended tolls across the central portion of the state as evacuations continued.
Additional video footage from social media users shows a massive line of cars as the hurricane approaches:
On Monday, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor warned people ignoring evacuation orders, “I can say without any dramatization whatsoever: If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you’re going to die,” Breitbart News reported.