CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A crash shut down all westbound lanes of the JFK Causeway and one eastbound lane of the Causeway, making a traffic nightmare during rush hour Monday morning.
The road was reopened just after 11 a.m.
The accident and eventual shut down of the westbound lanes brought up the issue of the lack of alternate routes for those who rely on the causeway for everyday commuting.
"Even though it's not a hurricane event, it would be perfect for the city to practice funneling the traffic at least one lane so people could go over the bridge and practice for an emergency event," said bystander Dean Crimson.
Families and drivers who were able to pull off into the nearby Sonic and Starbucks did so to wait for the scene to clear. One family who was in town visiting said their seven hour drive back home got longer.
"We had just left for Port Aransas and were headed back to Midland and got caught in this traffic," said one Coastal Bend tourist. "We've had the whole family here so we just pulled into Sonic to have some breakfast before we head out."
The accident was cleared just before noon. Officers confirmed that a vehicle was stopped at the top of the bridge with their emergency lights on when another vehicle couldn't slow down in time, and slammed into them.
Both drivers were taken to an area hospital.
The Corpus Christi Police Department reminds drivers to be cautious during weather events, and to slow down.
