Governor bans tractor trailers on Rhode Island roads
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo has banned tractor-trailer travel on state roads until 9 p.m. due to a fierce winter storm that was forecast to bring blizzard conditions and to dump well over a foot of snow on the state.
The governor announced the ban during a news conference on Thursday, saying that several trucks had jack-knifed and gotten stuck on roads. Around the state, intense winds and heavy snowfall reduced visibility and made it difficult to travel.
I’ve imposed a tractor trailer ban for all state roads and bridges until 9 pm tonight.
— Gina Raimondo (@GovRaimondo) January 4, 2018
The Democratic governor said she was refraining, for now, from declaring a state of emergency because motorists were heeding calls to stay home and few power outages were reported.
The snow accumulation had already hit 8 inches in East Providence before noon, according to unofficial totals reported into the National Weather Service.
