One after another, the big rigs slowly rolled along over Stevens Pass on Wednesday after heavy snow and avalanche danger closed I-90 at Snoqualmie Pass, the state’s main east-to-west freeway.
“I’ve never seen this amount of commercial truck traffic on Highway 2,” Washington State Patrol trooper Kirk Rudeen said. He’s been patrolling the area for 19 years.
The amount of truck traffic on U.S. 2 on Wednesday was “phenomenal,” he said.
Traffic was slow winding over Stevens Pass as trucks were required to chain up before making the trip, Rudeen said. Despite the heavy volume, there were no major problems.
The I-90 closure started Tuesday morning and ended — briefly — just before noon Wednesday.
Traffic was diverted off I-90 to Stevens Pass and White Pass, said Jeff Adamson, a state Department of Transportation spokesman.
“Typically when (the closure) happens, we see an immediate 20 plus percent increase in traffic (on alternate routes) and most of that would be in trucks,” he said. “A lot of commercial vehicles are delivering time-sensitive cargo and they don’t have a choice. They have to take another route.”
About 32,000 vehicles cross Snoqualmie Pass each day and roughly 7,000 use Stevens Pass, Adamson said.
While drivers of passenger vehicles often can delay their trips, commercial trucks need to keep moving, he said.
When heavy snow falls, crews close the mountain passes and use explosives to clear away avalanche danger.
It took crews 28 hours to clear I-90 by Wednesday morning, officials said. Wednesday afternoon avalanches again closed westbound traffic on I-90.
Stevens Pass also was closed for a short time early Wednesday morning while crews fired explosives from a tank to start a controlled slide and reduce avalanche risk.
Another 2 feet of snow is forecast to fall in the mountains Thursday and Friday, said Johnny Burg, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Seattle.
“It’s looking like it’s going to keep snowing up there until next week,” he said. “It’s looking to be not good.”
Anyone with plans to drive across the passes should be ready for cold, icy conditions.
“Too many people are showing up on those passes without having their vehicles or themselves properly prepared for winter,” Adamson said.
Expect long delays, bring tire chains, carry appropriate clothes and have necessities for everyone in the car, especially young children, he said.
Being stuck without food, blankets or prescription medication for long stretches of time can be very dangerous.
“That can sometimes be a life-threatening situation,” he said.
Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437 or jholtz@heraldnet.com
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