Road, Power Crews Ready All Across Area For Winter Storm
Follow KDKA-TV: Facebook | Twitter
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The last time a winter storm came through, the roads became a mess. The snow caught many off guard, and vehicles were sliding all over the highways and traffic was at a dead stop for hours.
This time though, PennDOT and the City of Pittsburgh say they are ready.
Pittsburgh Public Works has 71 trucks and tractors ready to plow and salt. They have another 36 vehicles on standby.
Meanwhile, to deal with the potential freezing rain, crews spent the overnight hours pre-treating roads with a brine mix.
#NEW: This is the latest from the @CityPGH officials! 71 vehicles at the ready with ANOTHER 36 on standby. Also the #snowplowtracker came back online this #AM after it was down for a few hours overnight. All these details on @KDKA pic.twitter.com/7ETQ6DH4eO
— MEGHAN SCHILLER (@MeghanKDKA) February 20, 2019
They brought in crews four hours early to get ahead of the storm.
"So, we are going to have our night turn after midnight start to put material down," said Pittsburgh Public Works Director Mike Gable. "We are going to supplement it by bringing in our daylight crews that start at 6. We are going to bring them in at 2 a.m."
WEATHER LINKS:
Current Conditions | School Delays & Closings | Local Radar | Weather App | Photos
Over in Westmoreland County, crews cleaned up their trucks and then loaded them with salt ahead of the storm. The Hempfield Township manager says his crews are responsible for 300 miles of roads.
West Penn Power is also preparing for the possibility of downed power lines.
KDKA's Amy Wadas Reports:
"Were looking at three to five inches of wet snow for the most part, in the 24 counties we cover," said Todd Meyers of West Penn Power. "So, we'll have all our normal people, plus we'll have our internal contractors."
If your power is knocked out, West Penn Power is asking you to be patient. They also suggest staying home if you don't need to be out in the weather.
To check the latest outages, visit West Penn Power's website here and Duquesne Light's website here.
RELATED STORIES:
- Winter Storm Brings Snow, Ice Accumulations To Western Pa.
- Pittsburgh's Snow Plow Tracker Activated For Winter Storm
- Road, Power Crews Ready All Across Area For Winter Storm
- Snowy Conditions Cause Crashes And Traffic Back-Ups, Speed Limit Imposed On Major Highways
PennDOT crews headed out onto the roads around midnight. A total of 69 trucks are out treating roads until the last flake flies.
KDKA's Lisa Washington Reports:
Officials with PennDOT have imposed a 45 mile per hour speed limit on Interstate 80, the Pennsylvania Turnpike and other highways. Those restrictions went into place at 6 a.m.
Semis hauling empty trailers will not be allowed on those roads until the storm passes.
Stay up to date with the KDKA app, which you can download here.
