PITTSBURGH — Snow bands moving through the Pittsburgh region on Saturday led to road closures in several communities because of deteriorating road conditions.
PHOTOS: Snow bands move through Western Pennsylvania
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We’re tracking the latest updates on crashes and road conditions below.
UPDATE 7:30 PM
Dependable Drive-In said they are canceling their showings for Saturday night.
UPDATE 4:45 PM
Channel 11 Meteorologist Stephanie Allison said refreezing is likely on roads overnight.
Click here to read her latest weather update.
UPDATE 3:40 PM
Dependable Drive-In is asking anyone planning to visit for a winter evening movie to consider staying home if they do not have a vehicle with four-wheel drive. They said their snow plow is currently undergoing repairs and cannot be used.
UPDATE 3:25 PM
Allegheny County officials say 24 salt trucks with plows were deployed at 8 a.m. and have been treating county-maintained roads since then. The trucks will remain on their routes until the snow stops.
Officials say while most county roads are wet, there haven’t been reports of “major issues.” But, bridges, ramps and overpasses may quickly become slick in between treatment, which is about every two hours.
Drivers are urged to be cautious.
Click here to report a snow or ice issue on a county-maintained road.
UPDATE 2:40 PM
Pittsburgh city officials say the Department of Public Works is actively responding to unexpected heavy lake effect snowfall.
Officials say on-call and overtime crews have been called in and all 40 snowplow trucks are out on the road.
The crews will clean main roads first, then move to neighborhood secondary roadways.
The Emergency Operation Center is holding all non-emergency calls so operators can prioritize communications from emergency vehicles.
City officials ask for patience as crews work to clear roads. It can take up to 24 hours after snow stops to treat all city streets.
The winter weather is expected to continue into Saturday evening.
UPDATE 1:20 PM
According to PennDOT’s 511 Map, most interstates in and around Pittsburgh are still wet or snow-covered.
Portions of 79, 279, 60 and 376 are listed as wet with freezing conditions. Part of I-79 north of the Neville Island Bridge is snow or slush covered.
UPDATE 1:15 PM
The New Sewickley Township Police Department says Route 68 has reopened, thanks to assistance from the New Sewickley Township Road Department.
The department urges drivers to use caution.
UPDATE 12:50 PM
PennDOT warns of white-out conditions on I-76 West between Cranberry and the Ohio state line.
UPDATE 12:45 PM
PRT says all 61 route buses are heavily delayed due to road conditions. Several buses are stuck in Squirrel Hill because of “untreated, impassable ice patches.”
UPDATE 12:15 PM
The West Mifflin Police Department urges all drivers to use extreme caution. The agency says roadways are icy beneath snow because of the chilly temperatures. State, county and local salt crews are out clearing roads.
Click here to view the Pittsburgh Plow Tracker. As of 12:15 p.m., at least 20 trucks were out on the roads conducting plow operations.
UPDATE 11:45 AM
Due to inclement weather, Pittsburgh Regional Transit says several routes across its system are experiencing extended delays.
Some routes are delayed by more than 30 minutes.
UPDATE 11:35 AM
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for parts of Western Pennsylvania.
The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh issued the advisory until midnight for Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland counties.
The agency says lake-enhanced snow bands are moving through the region, dropping up to four inches of snow and causing slippery conditions and brief reductions in visibility.
UPDATE 10:55 AM
Travel remains slow on I-79 Northbound by Exit 73 to PA 910 in Wexford after multiple crashes just before 9 a.m. Cameras show first responders are no longer in the area, but the roadway is wet amid freezing conditions, and snow covered in some places.
PennDOT’s 511 Map notes that most major roadways are wet with freezing conditions.
The New Seciwkley Township Police Department reports that Route 68 is closed in the area of Unionville because of multiple crashes.
The Berkeley Hills Fire Company reports Browns Lane is closed between McKnight Road and Corbett Court because of icy/snowy road conditions and multiple crashes.
ORIGINAL STORY
Traffic is backed up on part of northbound I-79 because of multiple crashes.
An alert on PennDOT’s 511 Map states there’s a lane restriction on I-79 north in Wexford near Exit 73 to PA 910 because of a multi-vehicle crash. PennDOT cameras show there are multiple crashes in the area.
An Allegheny County 911 dispatcher says first responders were sent to the area at 8:48 a.m. No injuries have been reported so far.
The crashes happened soon after a band of snow moved through the area.
This is a developing story that will be updated as Channel 11 learns more.
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