RIDGEFIELD DRIVERS: Malloy Says Travel Ban Will Be Lifted Later This Afternoon

By Rich Scinto (Patch Staff)

Gov. Dannel Malloy will lift the travel ban entirely at 2 p.m. after all state roads have received a second treatment.

The state for the most part was spared the worst of the predicted historic blizzard. Neighboring states Rhode Island and Massachusetts weren’t as lucky and are still experiencing strong winds, heavy snow and major power outages.

Malloy highlighted the fact that there were only 15 accidents on state roads after the travel ban went into effect 9 p.m. Monday.

“There is no doubt that we avoided hundreds of accidents,” he said.

Malloy thanked state residents who heeded the travel ban and said he is anxious to open the roads and get things back to normal as soon as possible. He urged that people should still treat it as a normal storm and take caution on the roads if travel is necessary.

Third shift state workers aren’t to report to work. Local roads, especially in heavily affected areas, may not be as well plowed as state roads, he said.

National guardsmen and state resources will be sent to areas like Pomfret and New London to help clear snow.

“We have had several requests which we will respond to particularly after we finish cleaning the state roads,” Malloy said.

Malloy also said he was pleased that the state had few power outages throughout the storm. Part of that was because the snow was light and ice didn’t accumulate on power lines. Utility companies also had an aggressive tree trimming program in place before the storm hit.

“We are learning and we are getting better at this stuff as we go along,” Malloy said.

Related:

• WEATHER ALERT: Winter Storm Warning, Hazardous Weather in Effect
• How Much Snow So Far During #Blizzard2015? Send Us Your Photos!
• Important Info on Reporting Power Outages

Photo: Flickr Creative Commons

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