Interstate 80 remains closed, snow strands travelers and truckers Tuesday night
SACRAMENTO — The winter weather started to ease up Tuesday night, which was a welcomed sight days into blizzard warnings and continuous storms in the Sierra.
Though, traffic remained snarled on Interstate 80 into the evening, with the roadways closed from Applegate to the Nevada state line.
For a Roseville family that CBS13 spoke with, a trip up I-80 to play in the snow came to a quick halt.
"We didn't get too far!" said father Oles Androshchuk.
The family of five made the most of it at the one gas station at the Applegate exit, making family memories of sledding in the snow.
"It's awesome for us, but not for others," said Liza Androshchuk.
The "others" would be anyone trying to get up or down I-80, as travelers and truckers were all told to turn back.
"Right now, we are just all hands on deck, trying to get the interstate back open," said Caltrans spokesperson Steve Nelson.
Caltrans hopes to be able to reopen I-80 on Wednesday if the weather cooperates.
The agency and local law enforcement are warning people to stop following GPS routes to the backroads, trying to navigate around the main road closures. They say drivers will fare worse there, and likely end up on a road that is not plowed with little cell service.
"Any time you take some of those side routes it can be dangerous because of the condition of the road. They have no idea what they drive into until it's too late," said Nelson.
It stretches already thin resources to the max as companies like Five Star Towing dig out those stranded.
"It's going to be a long night," said Nick Anderson.
But it is impossible for the tow drivers to reach everyone, and they cannot get there immediately.
That is where "neighbors helping neighbors" come in.
Tony Gallardo, a 22-year-old South Lake Tahoe resident, spends his free time driving the Tahoe streets, searching for spin-outs. With his rigged-up Jeep, he said he has pulled hundreds of people to freedom both this winter and last.
He does it at no charge and, he said, for the thrill of lending a helping hand.
"You're like the knight in shining armor coming in. It's super satisfying to pull someone out who has been stuck a while," said Gallardo.
Caltrans is asking drivers to stay off the roads if possible.
With a break in the storm in sight, the worst of it is over, but cleanup will continue. Caltrans has 160 workers staged on the Sierra I-80 Corridor from Applegate to the Nevada state line working 12-hour shifts with extra crews brought in from valley divisions to help get the roads back open.