Florida - Thursday August 31, 2023: The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has reopened the majority of all state-owned roads and bridges following Hurricane Idalia, including Interstate 10 (I-10) in Madison County, and State Road (S.R.) 24, which leads to Cedar Key.
FDOT’s teams worked to clear a 15-mile stretch of I-10 in Madison County that was significantly littered with debris and downed trees. Based on reports from the field, it’s estimated there were over 10,000 downed trees of varying sizes along the 15-mile stretch of I-10.
FDOT deployed 27 four-person crews once the winds subsided to cut and toss and remove debris from the travel lanes. Those teams were able to clear all travel lanes and reopen I-10 by 7 p.m. Wednesday – within 12 hours of beginning operations.
“I’m incredibly proud of the work our FDOT team has accomplished in the past 24 hours to ensure roads and bridges are safe for travel,” said FDOT Secretary Jared W. Perdue, P.E. “Thanks to the leadership and decisive direction of Governor Ron DeSantis, FDOT was able to quickly deploy 700 crew members and staff our Department’s emergency operations centers across Florida to bring a sense of normalcy to all impacted communities and provide access for first responders, utility restoration, and deliveries of necessary recovery supplies.”
In addition, all state-owned bridges have been inspected and cleared for travel.