EAST HARTFORD -- Governor Dannel Malloy held a news briefing from the DOT Garage in East Hartford Wednesday evening to discuss the state’s preparations in advance of tomorrow’s winter storm. He said the Emergency Operations Center was activated Thursday morning to monitor the storm.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation ramped things up throughout the day Wednesday ahead of the storm, that could produce nearly a foot of snow across the state on Thursday.
The DOT has 634 plows and 250 contractors that are expected to be used during this storm.
The plan was to pre-treat the roads to get a jump-start on keeping them as clear as possible. The plows will then hit the road about an hour before it starts to snow.
The DOT has tips for you during the storm:
- Never pass on right side of plows
- If you can't see their mirrors, they can't see you
- Don't drive next to a plow
- Stay back at least three car lengths
During the last snow storm, State Police responded to nearly 475 incidents, including stranded motorists.
Some tips from State Police to keep you safe are:
- Be alert and avoid distractions inside your car
- Drive in lanes that have already been driven in
- Clean off your vehicle before driving or face a fine of up to $120
Also, the state has a new trip planning tool called CT Travel Smart. The program allows you to get real-time conditions that can be customized for your specific route which includes access to the DOT cameras around the state.