Traffic update: Another accident cleared in Bluffton, but roads could get worse soon

This story will be updated throughout the day.

Although the ice and snow began to melt Thursday, roads are slick and officials have urged everyone to avoid venturing out if possible. Officials are expecting the melted snow and ice to refreeze as temperatures drop.

Around 5:20 p.m. Thursday an accident on the Bluffton Parkway near Masters Way in Bluffton was reported by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. The right eastbound lane was blocked, but was cleared by 6 p.m.

At 2:20 p.m. the traffic lights at the intersection of U.S. 278 and Spanish Wells Road on Hilton Head Island was reported to be malfunctioning by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies were at the intersection directed traffic for several hours.

The malfunctioning light did not seem to be causing a backup as of 2:45 p.m., according to traffic cameras.

While most Beaufort County bridges have reopened after Wednesday’s winter storm, Hilton Head Island’s Cross Island Parkway remains closed to due icy conditions.

Crews from the South Carolina Department of Transportation are focusing on maintaining the U.S. 278 bridges on and off Hilton Head Island and trying to de-ice the Cross Island Parkway, according to Kevin Turner, a spokesperson for the Department.

The crews are also beginning to move from primary Beaufort County routes to high-traffic secondary roads and main roads that connect people from outside the county, such as S.C. 46 and U.S. 17, Turner said.

“There’s very little cloud coverage, which is favorable, and we’ve got better temperatures that yesterday, so we’re hoping to make a lot of headway,” he said.

Residents are still advised to stay off the roads if possible, as freezing overnight temperatures did make conditions worse and melting snow may not help the situation either.

“With the sun coming out, it can melt some of the ice,” Turner said. “If the ice melts, the roads can actually become more slick, so we’re working to maintain traction as best as possible.”

Crews are using salt, sand and the chemical treatment brine to try and maintain traction on Beaufort County bridges.

Since 7 a.m. Thursday, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies had responded to 112 traffic accidents and 40 of those involved at least some type of injury.

This story was originally published January 4, 2018 at 11:32 AM with the headline "Traffic update: Another accident cleared in Bluffton, but roads could get worse soon."