Heavy Snow Creates Commuter Challenges All Across Region
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Relentless salting had the roads in pretty good shape in the pre-dawn hours, but then came a heavy band of snow just after 5:30 in the morning.
"When that band came through, and rush hour started, it became very difficult to get out and get everything cleared," says Dean Poletti, PennDOT's maintenance manager for Allegheny County.
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The snow just kept on coming at close to an inch an hour during the morning rush hour, slowing traffic to a crawl and extending commute times up to two hours in many cases.
Many wondered where the plow trucks were.
Poletti says, "Our trucks were stuck in a lot of traffic. It takes a lot of time for trucks to get through the rush hour traffic, so that slowed down us cleaning the roads off."
Port Authority buses also had their issues, getting stuck on Mt. Washington and on Forbes Avenue.
Port Authority spokesman Adam Brandolph says, "There wasn't any rhyme or reason as to where they were, some of the roads were icy or impassable."
Walking wasn't a lot of fun either. Barrie Gregg and his team of shovel-wielding Downtown Pittsburgh Partnership co-workers were doing the best they could.
"Unfortunately, every time they do the curb, cut 10 minutes later, earlier this morning, it was just as bad as it was," he said.
One man in Gateway Center took the philosophical approach, "You can't fool Mother Nature. Whatever she decides she's going to do, it's going to get done."