Many drivers in Virginia were stranded for hours by massive snowfall due to the senator’s office.
The federal government has stepped in to help drivers who were stuck for 24 hours due to snowfall.
US Department of Transportation tweeted Tuesday afternoon that Virginia Transportation officials are in touch. It follows massive outrage by drivers who had been stuck on Interstate 95 traffic for nearly 19 hours, according to Senator Tim Kaine (D.Virginia). According to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 vice presidential candidate, it is normally a two hour commute for him.
.@USDOTFHWAIs in contact with @VADOTFHWA has contacted VADOT to inquire about unmet requirements, the estimated time of reopening and their plans for motorist assistance. FHWA will continue to monitor, ready to assist VADOT as they work to resolve this situation.https://t.co/paXZv8c3M3
— TransportationGov (@USDOT) January 4, 2022
Yesterday, I began my usual 2 hour trip to DC. 19 hours later, I’m still not near the Capitol. My office has been in contact with @VaDOTfor more information on how Virginians can assist in such a situation. Everyone, please be safe. pic.twitter.com/Sz1b1hZJZ5
— Tim Kaine (@timkaine) January 4, 2022
Delays were the least of some people’s worries as the storm and poor road conditions caused more than 860 crashes, including multiple jack-knifed semi trucks, and over 840 disabled vehicles, Virginia State Police announced. There has been no fatality, however there were numerous minor injuries. Mixture of rain and snow caused dangerous conditions overnight. This led to huge traffic delays and had sections of the highway closed. Police have urged Virgnians that they not drive unless necessary.
“The drive is not worth the risk of a crash, getting stuck, injury to you or your passenger or the cost of a repair,”According to police, the incident was reported in a statement.
Many drivers took to social media to show their dismay at the traffic jams. Some claimed to be stuck on roads for hours while others reported more than 20.
UPDATE: Now that we have spent 11 hours in the car, I-95 is finally moving. But only northbound. Southbound is still closed and there are approximately a dozen cars backed up.
— Josh Lederman (@JoshNBCNews) January 4, 2022
It is unacceptable that people stayed for twelve hours in temperatures of 20 degrees. The forecast was accurate 12 hours before it began. If I-95 in Virginia doesn’t have the plow/salt capabilities for 8-14” of snow it should have been preemptively closed. @JoshNBCNewshttps://t.co/5BUItfM5vk
— Bill Karins (@BillKarins) January 4, 2022
Many drivers were stuck on the roads overnight due to the first snow of this season and the freezing temperatures.
For more than five hours, snow-struck motorists were stopped at the Beltway Outer Loop, Route 50, and I-95 in Stafford County. pic.twitter.com/EkYDypBSxs
— Dave Dildine (@DildineWTOP) January 3, 2022
Others showed people eating together and looking for other activities to distract themselves from the endless hours spent on the road.
Governor Ralph Northam stated that hotter temperatures would improve road conditions, and continued efforts to open up the interstate.
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