Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-02-17
Many Roads
Blocked; Glaze
|PeriIs Drivers

Suburbs ana q glaze OF Ice owe
.hard-packed snow on cit.
streets today made driving
hazardous in town and oftei
impossible in the nearby areas
Nearly all roads in outlying
areas were blocked. Main high,
ways north frequently wert
limited to one lane with al
access roads impossible.
The highway situation SHIFTED
as fast as the drifts. High
ways with open lanes were sud
denly blocked by drifts ant
traffic was stalled until plowl
could push the snow OF thu
road.
City motorists Jared better
but extreme caution was urged
because Of treacherous ics
Sticks. sometimes hidden undel
a blanket Of drifted snow.
Guests Of wi1ds UP to 8:
miles an hour in the city anc
even stronger in the suburbs
not only kept piling up the
drifts but also buffeted earl
and cut down visibility.
A motorist on Shirley high.
way said drifting snow was like
a sheet in front of the wind
shield.
Morning Trafiic Light
Work-bound traffic through
the city was reported as livery
light" Police said it was NOV
ing normally before $3.50 am
At 8:22 am, the midnight
shift Of police-held over to
aid In traffic jams-was re-
lieved.
Police were ordered to give
motorists one lasA chance to
get their cars out of snow banks
and illegal parking places where
many Of them had remained
since Saturday.
Deputy Chief John j. Agnew
head Of traffic. issued a general
order to police this morning
to give motorists a reasonable
time" TO extrieate their cars
Then. police will take what
ever action is necessary"
Throughout the city, motor
lists were urged to depend on
chains rather than snow tires
If they must drive at all.
East Capitol Area Hit
Drifting was reported par
ticularly bad in the city on the
east approach to East Capitol
Street Bridge. the area around
the National Guard Armory, on
South Capitol street. Eastern
avenue and Overlook drive Sc
adjacent to Boiling Air Force
Base and on New York and
South Dakota avenues NE.
Some city roads we're COM
pletely blocked by cars and the
intersection of Sergeant road
and Varnum street NE. also
blocked by four cars and re-
portedly difficult to reach with
cranes.
The Fourteenth Precinct re-
ported it was virtually imposs-
ible to move through Marshall
Heights and that IS per cent
! of the precincts side streets
were in bad shape.
Here is q summary Of road
conditions in outlying areas:
Nearly all roads are blocked.
Montgomery County police al
Rockville reported the only
roads open in that area are
Rockville pike, one lane open
and Viers Mill road from Rock
vile to Wheaton, two lanes
open.
Roads going north from
Rockville are all impossible
with some drifts is to 20 feet
deep.
Among main routes closed in
Montgomery County were Route
20 from ColeSville north,
Georgia avenue from Norbeck
north and new Route 20 from
White Oak north.
Conditions Getting Worse"
Montgomery County police
reported road conditions were
getting worse instead of better
during the morning. especially
in the upper county areas.
Damascus and Poolesville
were isolated. Drifts from is to
Is feet high were reported in
the Clarksburg area. A utility
pole near Etcheson in the Dick
erson area was completely COW
cred by snow drifts during the
night.
Silver Spring police reported
all but downtown streets are
closed. Seven-foot drifts were
reported on Georgia avenue in
the Brook Johns Estate area.
The AAA reported the East
West Highway is open.
lice at Marlboro said the only
road open in that area is
Route 4, which runs between
Washington and Anne Arundel
County. The main roads south,
Routes S and 301, are blocked.
So are secondary roads.
80 Flows at Work
The Maryland Roads Com
mission has 40 snow pillow units
working in Prince Georges
County. Officials hope to have
all main roads open by night
fall.
In Prince Georges, the units
are concentrating on blocked
U. s. SOL, particularly around
Cheltenham, and U. S. so east
ward from the District line.
The Washington Annapolis
expressway was reported open
in most locations but drifts are
still present in stretches pass
ing through open country.
Parkway Partially Blocked