CLEVELAND, Texas – Icy conditions on bridges and overpasses caused officials to shut down Highway 59 in Cleveland for several hours Tuesday morning.
Traffic was closed in both directions for the entire morning after a series of accidents overnight.
"We had six wrecks at one time, and that's when we shut it down," said Cleveland Fire Chief Brian McNevin.
During the closure, traffic was diverted to Washington Avenue so drivers could bypass the city's overpasses.
Some truck drivers waited out the closure by lining up along the highway's frontage roads.
Steven Estelle, of Connecticut, said he couldn't believe the dramatic difference in temperatures from his last trip through the Houston area, when the high was around 80 degrees.
"Icicles. I wake up this morning and it's Texas – it looks like Connecticut. This is crazy!" said Estelle.