Pennsylvania Guardsmen Help Thousands of Storm-Stranded Motorists

American Forces Press Service ^ | Jim Garamone

[SandRat]

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 2007 – About 500 Pennsylvania National Guard members were called up to assist thousands of motorists stranded for almost a day on icy highways, a Pennsylvania state official said today.

An immense winter storm that paralyzed the Midwest and eastern United States over the past several days caused nearly 24 hours of gridlock involving hundreds of motorists on a 50-mile stretch of Interstate 78 between Allentown, Pa., and Harrisburg, the state capital, Kevin Cramsey, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, said today.

The road closings “really began Wednesday afternoon and pretty much continued all day yesterday,” Cramsey said, noting the storm quickly deposited layers of slick ice on I-78 and other state roads, catching local commuters, passers-through and truckers by surprise. The storm’s magnitude caused Gov. Edward Rendell to declare a statewide disaster emergency.

Snow, sleet and freezing rain brought by the storm also made portions of Interstates 81 and 80 impassable, Cramsey said during a phone interview from Pennsylvania National Guard headquarters at Fort Indiantown Gap.

Ultimately, thousands of motorists were stranded on icy Pennsylvanian roads, Cramsey said.

“It just created this logjam,” he said. “Some tractor-trailers couldn’t get moving, and it caused some chain-reaction accidents.”

The Guardsmen provided water, baby formula and other food to motorists and truckers stranded on I-78 and along other ice-covered roadways, Cramsey said. The Guardsmen also helped direct traffic.

By the time the crisis had eased late yesterday, some 500 Pennsylvania National Guard members, including air crews, had been activated to assist motorists, Cramsey said. A few stranded motorists with health issues were evacuated by state police helicopters, he said.

As of this morning, the traffic congestion is gone and state road crews are busily salting and clearing icy highways, Cramsey said.

“It was a big situation,” he said.

Related Sites:
Pennsylvania National Guard

[SandRat]

Maybe this is what Murtha means be redeploying out of Iraq?

Sorry I couldn't resist after today's shameful act on the house floor.

[SandRat]

GOOD GOING NATIONAL GUARD!

[lightman]

Go Guard!

But shame on Governor Rendell and his lackeys for a total failure. At least the Guv did accept responsibility on camera for the fiasco.

I'll wager that he uses this mess as a justification for a substantial hike in the PA gas tax...or for more slot machines.

[lightman]

BTW as of 6 PM I-78 and I-81 were still closed, goal is to be opened by sundown Saturday.

[stevio]

Don't get too excited. I live a few miles from I78, and although I don't know everyones story, the people who I'm hearing from saw no National Guardsmen. If Bush is responsible for Katrina, Rendell caused this catastrophe.

[OldFriend]

Pennsylvania wanted Rendell to bring to the state the same failures he brought to Philadelphia. Hope they're happy now.

My sympathies for those stranded for two days on a road that should have been shut down in the first hour or so of the storm.

[guitarchas]

I work and travel in this area. Why is it that the NE Extension of the Pa Turnpike which is very close to both I78 and I80 is as dry as a bone with no problems on Thursday and Friday? Is there such a thing as selective local warming. Rendell is a joke.

[kylaka]

I notice the gridlock seemed to be in the westbound lanes of 78, which are about 75 feet north of the eastbound lanes which were clear of all traffic. Now, I realize that the farther north one goes, the colder it gets, but I had no idea 75 feet made so big a difference.

[daviddennis]

Aren't Pennsylvania's roads hopelessly antiquitated and in rotten shape no matter what the conditions?

I went down to Florida for a while and their local roads are wider and better maintained than our Interstates and Turnpike! A little sun bleached, granted, but you could certainly drive on them without encountering hazards.

I suppose you could say that's because they have better weather, but I think Ohio's weather is about the same and their Turnpike is about 100x better than Pennsylvania's.

Why?

D

(I am a Pennsylvania resident but have never considered this wretched place my home.)

[spanalot]

"Now, I realize that the farther north one goes, the colder it gets, but I had no idea 75 feet made so big a difference."

This is criminal and someone should be put in jail. And why didnt they get a few backhoes to take out some center dividers to let these people make a u turn and get onto other highways.

[daybreakcoming]

And why didnt they get a few backhoes to take out some center dividers to let these people make a u turn and get onto other highways.

Because politicians and bureaucrats have no common sense - no "git 'er done".

[Intolerant in NJ]

Wonder if Rendell's approval rating will fall as Bush's did after Katrina - nah.......

[finnsheep]

We are in Pike County, PA and this is just a continuation of what has been happening with PennDot. The one truck that was supposed to clear our local roads was stuck with two flat tires. PennDot had one of those electronic road signs outside of Milford, PA for about 6 mos trying to hire people to plow snow. But, when you haven't paid the folks who did it before, the word gets around.

Whenever there is a major accident, there is no one from PennDot to get detours around the I-84 problem going no matter how often they are called.

Money that should have gone for road maintenance appears to have all been funnelled to Philly mass-transit to buy votes.

[OldFriend]

Because people PAY to drive on the turnpikes and Rt. 78 is free. We live off Rt. 78 in NJ and it's never properly plowed, sanded, or made safe for travel in bad weather.

[libstripper]

Maybe no selective local warming, but selective local snow. A couple of years ago I attempted my usually easy drive from Knokxville, TN to St. Louis, MO, which takes me up I-23 from Nashville to Paducah. As fate would have it there was a particularly nasty snow and ice storm the day before that completely blocked I-23 and little else. It forced me to turn back.

[dirtboy]

I suppose you could say that's because they have better weather, but I think Ohio's weather is about the same and their Turnpike is about 100x better than Pennsylvania's.

First of all, many of the first divided highways were built in Pennsylvania. They worked out design problems here and then applied those lessons elsewhere.

Leaving us stuck with their design problems.

Second, the various state agencies dealing with transportation are graft-ridden even by the normal standards for such agencies. The PA Turnpike Commission is a patronage mill - you have to have political connections just to get a job as a toll-taker. And much of the toll money is used to build worthless connectors off the Turnpike - because that allows patronage to construction companies.

[spanalot]

"Money that should have gone for road maintenance appears to have all been funnelled to Philly mass-transit to buy votes."

BINGO - NO MORE PHONE CALLS - WE DO HAVE A WINNER!