WETHERSFIELD, Conn. (WTIC Radio) - The blizzard-like snow storm heading toward Connecticut has state officials warning residents to stay off the roads as they implement measures to keep the streets clear for plowing.
The State Department of Transportation (DOT) has over 600 trucks and over 700 employees out salting roads and plowing snow, along with additional contractors, Transportation Commissioner Joseph Giulietti said.
State police will be fully staffed with troopers ready to assist any on the roads and National Guard partners are in place if needed, according to Emergency Services Commissioner James Rovella. Regional coordinators are also keeping in close contact with local emergency management directors, he said.
Governor Ned Lamont announced that a travel ban on all tractor trailers statewide will be in place beginning at 3 a.m. Saturday until further notice.
The ban is coordination with Connecticut's neighboring states, including Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Lamont said.
"We've got to be able to get the snow plows through. We don't need anybody slowing things up. We also have to be able to get emergency vehicles wherever they've got to go," Lamont said.
Public transportation will also be scarce Saturday, Giulietti warned. "Normally, I'm turning around saying look for alternative means of transportation. There are not going to be alternative means [Saturday]," he said.
Amtrak and the public bus system will not be operating Saturday, he said. Metro North is the exception, but he said the service will be very limited.
Giulietti explained that the DOT is going into the storm with staffing down by about 30% with about a dozen of those people out for COVID-related reasons. However, the DOT is still in good shape to respond to the storm, he said.
What's more worrisome is the snowfall, he said, because the DOT can typically handle an inch of snowfall an hour.
"We're getting projections right now that this storm could be coming in with 3 to 5 inches [of snow] an hour. If that's going on, we will not be able to keep up with that," Giulietti said.
With the storm expected to drop heavy, wet snow, Lamont said this storm looks like it will be rough, but Eversource is ready to respond with 600 crews as well as crews from Canada.
"Don't go on the roads. Stay home [Saturday]," Lamont said.
Additional resources are available at CTTravelSmart.org.