WASHINGTON 鈥� Getting around the D.C. region is posing to be a challenge on the Monday after a weekend blizzard dumped up to 30 inches of snow, but area officials say they’re making steady progress.
Three major changes to the area’s roads went into effect Monday:
- The northbound George Washington Parkway is closed between Spout Run Parkway and Va. 123 until 3 p.m.聽Monday for snow removal;
- On Rock Creek Parkway, the reversible lane changes are canceled for Monday,
- And northbound Waterside Drive between Massachusetts Avenue and Rock Creek Parkway is closed until Saturday.
BOB RAGER, OF THE MARYLAND STATE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION,聽which covers the numbered routes in the state, told 草莓传媒 at about 10 a.m. that 鈥淚 dare say we鈥檙e in really good shape in terms of lane-clearing,鈥� although some lanes, as well as ramps and merge lanes, remain snowy and icy.
Crews still have a “couple of days left鈥� before things return to something resembling normal, Rager says 鈥� certainly Tuesday and Wednesday will still see long hours spent clearing roads and lanes, and it鈥檚 鈥渉ard to tell for sure鈥� whether work will continue into Thursday.
He says crews are catching a break on the larger state routes, since they can plow snow to the side, which helps keep it from melting and flowing back into the middle of the road.鈥�
The key, Rager said: 鈥淒on鈥檛 assume it鈥檚 going to be clear everywhere you go.鈥�
Lots of highways and main routes can be clear, but a lane can quickly disappear on you, and icy conditions can suddenly pop up.
The weekend closures of Interstates 270 and 70 were a big help, Rager says.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 something we want to make a habit of,鈥� he admits with a laugh.
鈥淚t helps to have everybody off the road to the extent possible.鈥� A less-crowded Monday-morning rush hour also helped.
ROADS IN THE DISTRICT聽are slowly coming back to life, though officials warn against parking in snow emergency zones.
“We’re making a lot of progress,鈥澛燚.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a news conference Monday morning.
The District has more than 4,400 miles of roadways, she added, 鈥渁nd we are making our way through all of it.”
She cautioned, however, 鈥淭his will take a long time to clean up.鈥�
Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Christopher Geldart says that the D.C. government will be asking for federal assistance.
鈥淲e鈥檙e all digging out incrementally.鈥�
After the roads are clear, Geldart said, the next step is the removal of snow piles.
鈥淥ur goal is not to have mountains of snow for weeks. We have a lot of snow that we are going to be moving … That process will likely to be into next week,”聽Geldart said.
IN VIRGINIA,聽spokeswoman Ellen Kamilakis of the Department of Transportation told 草莓传媒 Monday morning that the agency is 鈥渟till making progress鈥� clearing the roads,
“We鈥檙e utilizing every resource we can; it鈥檚 just a matter of time at this point.鈥�
The interstates are in 鈥減retty good shape,鈥� Kamilakis, said, though she added, like Rager, that road conditions can change very quickly. She still recommends that people not go out on the roads, in order to make more room for trucks.
鈥淲e haven鈥檛 forgotten anybody,鈥� she says.
She says she understands that that can ring hollow for someone whose street hasn鈥檛 been plowed yet but advises against trying to get out on your own. People are trying to get out of their neighborhoods and getting stuck, she says, and that gets in the way of snowplows, slowing down the clearing for everyone.
If you think you’ve been overlooked, she says, use the聽聽or drop them a line on Twitter at聽.
“We’re aware of what everyone is saying,” Kamilakis says.
鈥淲e know you鈥檙e frustrated; we know you鈥檝e got cabin fever. There鈥檚 only so much on Netflix 鈥� we get it.鈥�
In Virginia, VDOT provides a 聽to give updates on road conditions. Some counties in Maryland offer , and in the District, the 聽is a way to look at live road conditions.
