Crews keep Pittsburgh-area roads passable during snowfall
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The fear was the Friday morning rush would be a big pile of slush, but road crews made sure that wasn't the case.
"This morning I had no problem. I was taking it easy, but the left lane was a little slushy, but other than that it was fine," Terry McGuire from Moon Township said.
Jim Molczan was passing through after leaving Erie, a snow lover's haven.
"Got the heck out of Erie before the lake effect kicks in," Molczan said.
He found I-79 to just be wet but on a day like today, that's almost ideal.
"Go below the speed limit. Stay in the right lane. Don't fly, even with a four-wheel drive," Molczan said while loading his car up with windshield washer fluid.
Municipal, county and state road crews started late Thursday night and early Friday morning to make sure roads were passable.
"Temperatures were great. Crews did a great job. I thought all in all it went pretty well," PennDOT District 11 Assistant District Executive of Maintenance Lori Musto said.
Even tricky city neighborhoods like Beechview and Brookline saw clear streets for anyone who wasn't working from home.
"We're keeping our fingers crossed that things continue to go well," said Mayor Ed Gainey's spokesperson, Olga George.
The city said they should hit their goal of having all city streets cleared within 18 hours of the snow stopping. They thanked neighbors for parking their cars in a way to let plows get through. The concern for all crews is the potential for ice.
"So hopefully the temps aren't quite as cold as we've been seeing and the salt will get a good chance to work for us," PennDOT District 10 Community Relations Coordinator Tina Gibbs said.
For evening commuters and any travelers this weekend, there aren't expected to be any major concerns. You are reminded to take it easier on your bridges and overpasses. PennDOT said there were a couple of instances where drivers got themselves into some trouble as those areas are still slick.