Drivers getting back to normal -- too fast (updated)
Maryland drivers who holed up Saturday started venturing out in greater numbers Sunday -- and the state's highway chief said many were going too fast for condition, leading to spin-outs, stuck vehicles and more traffic obstructions on recently cleared roads.
Traffic appeared to be moving briskly on most of the state's major roads at midday as snow plows were able to clear multiple lanes on interstates. An exception was snake-bitten Interstate 95 near Route 175 -- the scene of a massive hours-long backup Saturday -- where traffic was crawling after two tractor-trailers jack-knifed in successsion. As of nearly 1:45 p.m., traffic was inching along the stretch of I-95 south of Route 100.
At noon, a large snow plow train -- following front-end loaders -- worked to scrape away the layer of compacted snow that settled on I-95 near Rouite 100 when Saturday's nine-hour backup block snow-clearing. Traffic was backed up behind the plows as they worked to clear that 6-mile stretch leading to Route 175. Motorists are being advised to use parallel routes such as Maryland 295, U.S. 29 or U.S. 1 but many were choosing to stay on the interstate. Where on Saturday interstate traffic was mostly made up of trucks, passenger cars appeared to make up roughly three-quarters of the traffic flow Sunday.
Another problem developed about 11:30 a.m. when power lines fell across both lanes of U.S. 301 between Bowie and Upper Marlboro on the main route to Southern Maryland. Traffic was backed up in both direction and was still halted as of 1:45 p.m. SHA spokesman Dave Buck said Pepco was on the scene near Trade Zone Road and was working to clear the highway but he had no estimate how soon that would happen.
In a noon briefing, Gov. Martin O'Malley warned that road conditions remain dangerous despite progress in clearing the snow.
"While much of major highways are cleared, there still are many spots where it has not been totally cleared," he said. Secondary roads for for the most part still impassable, he said.
State Highway Administrator Neil J. Pedersen said there have been many spin-out crashes around the state as drivers try to resume normal speeds before the roads are ready. In many case, those vehicles are getting stuck, backing up traffic behind them.
"The vast majority of those cases involve vehicles that were driven too fast for conditions," Pedersen. Under current conditions, he said, driving the speed limit is driving far too fast, noting that limits are set for fair-weather conditions.
Ramps pose a particular danger because most have large quantities of snow piled up alongside the, Pedersen said. He added that in most cases, acceleration and deceleration lanes are not open, making it difficult to merge with the flow of highway-speed traffic.
Many of the piles of snow by state roadways, Pedersen said, are 6 to 8 feet high -- too massive to be cleared by snow plows. He said they can't be removed until crews can bring in front-end loaders that are in limited supply.
Pedersen said the day's problems will get worse this evening as temperatures fall into the teens and even single-digits in parts of the state. He warned that will lead to the formation of treacherous "black ice."
The highway chief urged Marylanders to watch the Super Bowl at home tonight rather than risk being on the road after the game.
Motorists who do become stuck on highways are being urged not to abandon their vehicles. Maryland State Police Superintendent said vehicles abandoned in the roadway will be towed away. He urged drivers who leave their cars only to find them gone when they return to contact the nearest state police barracks for help in locating their vehicles.
