FLORIDA, USA — The state of Florida is authorizing emergency shoulder use for traffic evacuating ahead of Hurricane Milton — meaning vehicles can drive on the shoulder on certain roads.
According to a tweet from the Florida Department of Transportation, the inside shoulders on Interstate 4 eastbound from Interstate 75 to Champions Gate and on I-75 northbound from I-4 to I-10 will be used for evacuation traffic.
Emergency Shoulder Use (ESU) is activated to help traffic flow and capacity during evacuations. While it's operational, all vehicles except large trucks, buses and trailers may drive on the shoulder. Law enforcement and posted signage will indicate when drivers can enter and exit the shoulder.
Shoulders are about two feet narrower than standard lanes, so drivers will need to slow down and watch for obstacles like gutters and inlets, as well as barrier walls and guardrails. There will also be continuous noise on the shoulder due to the rumble strips.
ESU was first implemented in September 2017 for Hurricane Irma and has since been used for Hurricane Ian in September 2022. Benefits to ESU include fewer resources required, shorter notice required for implementation, lack of disruption to local roadways, and a lack of impact on opposing traffic flow.
For a full list of counties that are under mandatory evacuation orders, click here.
