A portion of U.S. Hwy. 117 South in Duplin County is open again after it was closed by low visibility twice on Tuesday, and drivers are being asked to be careful and “avoid the area if at all possible” over the next few days because of lingering smoke.
The affected portion of the highway is between Magnolia and Rose Hill, after heavy smoke from a nearby legal, prescribed fire caused hazardous driving conditions starting early Tuesday morning that led to several crashes.
Officials said strong winds Tuesday night and Wednesday morning helped disperse the smoke, and they reopened the highway after determining that there was “no danger or threat to hinder morning travel.”
Travel conditions and visibility will be closely monitored over the next few days.
