Decision on contra flow to come Thursday night
HOUSTON -- Traffic started moving at a slow pace on several key Houston freeways on Thursday afternoon as Hurricane Ike continued to threaten the Texas coast.
Mandatory evacuations of coastal counties contributed to the slowed traffic, as well as some minor accidents. Stop-and-go traffic was reported in the northbound lanes of Interstate 45 as it moved through Texas City coming off the Galveston Causeway.
Other motorists on the Katy Freeway will run into slow traffic between downtown and the 610 Loop. Authorities are urging motorists to stay on the path to leave evacuated areas. "The traffic should not deter people from taking part in recommended evacuations," said Houston Mayor Bill White. "All local authorities are consulting with each other on the traffic flow, and 45 tow trucks have been deployed to help clear disabled vehicles." The mayor also advised people who live inland and are not evacuating to stay off the freeways and use surface roads. Officials say they are monitoring the traffic and a contra flow is not expected to be put in place. They will make a final decision on Thursday night. Retail Gas Prices on the Rise The traffic rush comes with an increase in gas prices, according to the weekly AAA Texas gasoline price survey released Thursday finds that wholesale price for gasoline produced on the Gulf Coast has jumped about 30 percent Thursday as Hurricane Ike approached the middle Texas coast. But even if more expensive, "fuel supplies remain sufficient," said auto club spokesman Dan Ronan. The most expensive gasoline in the survey was in Beaumont at $3.63, almost unchanged from last week. The cheapest was in Houston at $3.46 per gallon, up a penny from last week. "A warning to would-be price gougers -- your actions will not go unnoticed and they will not go unpunished," said one official. |
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Source : Myfoxhouston
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