Sunday, January 18, 2015

Massive Pileup Closes Interstate 76 in Pennsylvania; Icy Travel Causing Accidents, Delays, Closures



Massive Pileup Closes Interstate 76 in Pennsylvania; Icy Travel Causing Accidents, Delays, Closures



A multi-vehicle crash due to icing has closed Interstate 76 in both directions in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Sunday morning. Ice was also causing major travel problems in parts New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.
ABC 6 reports that the I-76 crash, which happened right before 7 a.m. local time, is one of many spin-ups in the area caused by freezing rain on the roads.

"With subfreezing air in place to start Sunday morning, locations from southeast Pennsylvania to southern New England have seen light freezing rain and freezing drizzle. Even a small amount of ice can cause major travel problems like we've seen this morning. By lunchtime, temperatures should rise above freezing, ending the icing threat," weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce said. 
Although it's still unclear whether there are injuries from the crash, NBC Philadelphia reports that over two dozen cars, possibly as many as 60, were involved in the pileup.  
Area bridges across the Delaware River in Philadelphia are closed as of Sunday morning, as well:
In Bucks County, Pennsylvania alone, government officials reported more than 100 accidents this morning. Some of these included EMS vehicles.
Elsewhere, icing is causing heavy traffic, slow downs and accidents from New Jersey and southeast New York (near New York City) to Connecticut.
Steve Schapiro, communications director of New Jersey DOT, told WNBC that road conditions are very dangerous in north-central New Jersey and parts of southern New Jersey. He said that hundreds of DOT crews were out spreading salt and encouraged drivers to stay home until temperatures warm up.
The New Jersey State Police reported on Sunday morning that 366 accidents had occurred in the state since midnight due to the slick roads.
New Jersey Transit bus services have been suspended until roads have been salted:
NBC in New York City said that eastbound lanes of the Long Island Expressway were closed at the Queens Midtown Tunnel due ice. In addition, the Goethals bridge and the Outerbridge Crossing were closed in both directions.
For a time on Sunday morning, the New York Thruway was closed in both directions from Newburgh to New York City, according the lohud.com.
Bus service in the Bronx has been suspended and other areas are running on a delay:
In Connecticut, this Vine video from Dan Amarante showed a multi-car accident on I-84 near New Britain due icing. The Connecticut DOT reported that I-84 was closed between exits 33 and 35 because of the accident.
NBC Connecticut says that traffic cameras on I-95 from Greenwich to Bridgeport showed hundreds of cars stopped and multiple accidents. One accident near New London reportedly caused six injuries.