1st Turnpike storm hearing held
HARRISBURG — Members of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission on Wednesday presented state lawmakers with the first of a two-part investigation into the snowstorm that stranded hundreds of motorists last month.
The hearing before the state House’s Transportation Committee included two legislators representing Butler County, both of whom said they were satisfied with the results of the inquiry so far.
State Rep. Jim Marshall, R-14th, who chairs the House’s transportation subcommittee on safety, said one of his central concerns is communication and information.
He questioned Turnpike officials about what information they gave motorists and how they delivered the messages in the run-up to Jan. 22, when a major snowstorm dumped more than 30 inches of snow on portions of the highway.
Marshall said he was satisfied that travelers had enough time to make informed decisions about using the road when a massive winter storm was predicted to hit the area. That was backed up, he said, by information provided by the commission showing that most vehicles stranded over a 24-hour period between Jan. 22 and 23 were either commercial vehicles or group transit vehicles, like coach buses.
“It may have been the perfect storm,” Marshall said. “Thirty inches of snow that fell earlier and more heavily than they expected.”
Rep. Jeff Pyle, R-60th, who also is on the House’s committee, said the hearing produced ideas that could improve the commission’s handling of similar situations in the future.
“You had a whole lot of bad things go wrong at the same time in a small space,” Pyle said. “I’m satisfied they had an ample amount of machinery out and moving (snow).”
He said ideas brought up during the hearing included the commission establishing a more robust presence on social media to disseminate information, constructing “slip ramps” to facilitate emergency access along the road, and re-examining special lane restrictions and rules for large, commercial vehicles like tractor trailers.
Turnpike spokesman Carl DeFebo said the commission will participate next week in a hearing before the state’s Senate Transportation Committee that will include officials from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, PennDOT, and the state police.
Turnpike officials also released Wednesday the initial findings of their review of the events leading up to the incident. Chairman Sean Logan, in a statement accompanying the release, said the Turnpike “made every effort, summoned every available resource and took every step possible to keep travelers safe,” during the Jan. 22 snowstorm.
The organization said a series of vehicle accidents combined with “historic” snowfall in the Somerset area created the crisis, which began brewing about 5:20 p.m. Jan. 22, when a single tractor trailer ran off the road near milepost 155.5 westbound, blocking lanes and creating more than 5 miles of traffic backlog.
The accident which ultimately brought traffic to a complete halt and stranded hundreds of motorists on the road for 24 hours or longer came about 8:30 p.m., when two tractor- trailer trucks traveling side-by-side in a construction zone collided on a hill before the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel.
Turnpike CEO Mark Compton said that vehicles weren’t detoured off the road because alternative routes also were hit by the blizzard, which dumped 35 inches of snow on the Somerset area. Compton said that having motorists shelter in place was “the best option,” but acknowledged that emergency workers were overwhelmed by the storm.
Turnpike officials said they are taking steps to be better prepared for such a situation in the future.
“As part of our review, we are focused on identifying ways to ensure we have enough people and equipment where we need them before the next event,” he said.
Compton said the recent expansion of the Turnpike from four to six lanes wide in many areas has prompted growing concern there may not be sufficient resources to meet the traffic growth.
“As our road has evolved ... we’re not adding equipment at the level the road is expanding,” Compton said.
The findings represent the first of a two-phase review the Turnpike began on Jan. 25. The second phase, which began earlier this week, will include meetings with state, federal and local agencies, said DeFebo.
A report including its recommendations is expected to be completed in early March.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
