TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT: Hurricane Matthew halts southeast roads, rail travel patterns

Oct. 7, 2016

Authorities cancelled rail operations and reversed highway traffic due to the forecast for Thursday and Friday

Hurricane Matthew’s expected arrival on the southeast Atlantic coast late Thursday and early Friday has scrambled travel patterns throughout the region.

Flights have been canceled at major airports from Miami to Jacksonville. Amtrak has canceled long-distance trains south of Washington, D.C., to the Carolinas and Florida.

And South Carolina made all four lanes of Interstate 26 between Charleston and Columbia westbound only to facilitate coastal evacuations.

Amtrak said it was canceling two pairs of trains that operate from New York to Miami, the Silver Star and the Silver Meteor, on Thursday and Friday. The popular Auto Train, which operates between Lorton, Va., and Sanford, Fla., was also to be canceled on those days.

The Palmetto, which ordinarily operates between New York and Savannah, Ga., will terminate at Washington, D.C., on Thursday and Friday, the railroad said.

South Florida’s Tri-Rail commuter train service was to be suspended on Thursday and Friday, as was central Florida’s SunRail, with normal operations to resume on Monday.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation also implemented a full lane reversal of Interstate 26 between Charleston and Columbia at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

The department implemented other, shorter lane reversals on major highways near Beaufort, Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach.

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