Traffic was expected to crawl throughout much of south Okaloosa County until motorists are allowed to cross the Brooks Bridge freely in in both directions, officials said Wednesday.
“Traffic is an issue in Okaloosa County even without a closed bridge,” said Michele Nicholson, spokeswoman for the Okaloosa County Sheriff‘s Office.
Niceville and the Mid-Bay Bridge may be congested for some time with both spring breakers and commuters using it to get to Destin and Okaloosa Island, Nicholson said.
Drivers are asked to be patient and courteous, she added.
The Mid-Bay Bridge will be toll-free until further notice, said Ian Satter, district spokesman for the Florida Department of Transportation.
All Okaloosa County school buses that needed to cross the Brooks Bridge already had done so before the barge accident, according to Superintendent of Schools Mary Beth Jackson.
School district officials were considering alternate routes for today, if needed, she said.
Today is the last day of school before students go on spring break, so Jackson hopes to keep inconveniences for families at a minimum.
“We’ll just take it one day at a time,” she said. “We’ll have time over spring break to really figure it out.”
Daily News Staff Writer Katie Tammen contributed to this report.