Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

PROVIDENCE -- Traffic is flowing well on most roads; salt and plow trucks are out treating roads with salt and sand trying to keep up with the snowstorm.

"Overall, road conditions look pretty good given the bad weather," said Charles St. Martin III, a DOT spokesman.

Still, he said, "people should not expect to see bare pavement. Plows just cannot plow that fast."

Look for yourself with DOT traffic cams.

So far, no serious accidents have been reported. But don't get overconfident. Roads are slippery -- particularly highway ramps and side streets, which may not have been treated -- and the wind has started to pick up strength. Also, plenty of minor accidents have been reported.

Route 6 west, west of Route 295, was reopened to traffic this afternoon after a tractor trailer got stuck on a hill, St. Martin said.

Martin said traffic in the greater Providence metropolitan area appeared to be lighter than usual, which St. Martin credited to schools having closed today and businesses allowing workers to leave early.

Traffic on Route 95 was down to 30 to 35 miles an hour due to the weather conditions.

Route 195 west, heading to Providence, is clear again. Around 3:30 p.m., a Journal reporter described the road as a "parking lot."

Meanwhile, a group of teenagers on the East Side took advantage of the weather to sled on the usually quiet Burlington Street.

Also covered in a thick layer of snow is the parking lot of the state's emergency management agency headquarters, Schofield Armory, on New London Avenue in Cranston, where reporters have gathered for a press conference with Gov. Donald L. Carcieri and EMA officials.

-- With reports from Journal staff writers Amanda Milkovits, Linda Borg and Michael P. McKinney

 Tags  traffic winter storm

Leave a comment

Please be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published. Name and email are required; email address will not publish.

Name:

Email:

URL:  

Remember personal info?

Captcha:

Type the characters you see in the picture above.