Volgograd Roads Paralyzed by Evening Snowfall
The aftermath of the snowfall that posed a serious challenge to Volgograd«s infrastructure
On the evening of February 2, heavy snowfall covered Volgograd, completely paralyzing traffic on the city«s main arteries. The first to be hit were the Second and Third Longitudinal highways. On Universitetsky Prospekt, a giant traffic jam formed, stretching from the Akvarel shopping center to the administration of the Sovetsky District. Trucks, unable to climb the incline on the icy asphalt, came to a halt, blocking passenger cars and buses.
All-wheel-drive vehicles are assisting in pulling out trucks that are stuck on icy roads
«Buses are still managing to get through somehow, but the trucks are stuck. Drivers of passenger cars are trying to weave around them somehow. Meanwhile, couriers are working as if nothing happened,»local residents report.
Passenger buses are trapped between stationary trucks, with no way to proceed through the traffic jam
Drivers have organized mutual aid: vehicles are being pulled out with the help of tractors and all-wheel-drive SUVs. Traffic police officers are stopping passing crossovers and asking for assistance, and, according to eyewitnesses, refusals are almost nonexistent.
The Second Longitudinal Highway has turned into a continuous traffic jam about 20 kilometers long
«Vehicles are being pulled out by tractors. Traffic police officers are stopping crossovers and asking for help. No one refuses. One of the onlookers ran home to get a tow rope,»an eyewitness relays.
«As soon as one truck is pulled out, the barricaded passenger cars and buses immediately crawl out behind it like little snakes, and some trucks that have enough traction to withstand the slippery road and blizzard.»
Passengers on buses are forced to wait until traffic movement is restored
A similar picture is observed on the Third Longitudinal Highway. Drivers in chat groups are urging people not to drive if possible, to avoid getting stuck in multi-kilometer traffic jams.
Meanwhile, the State Traffic Inspectorate has imposed restrictions: on federal highways passing through Volgograd Oblast in the direction of Voronezh, Saratov, Astrakhan, and Rostov Oblasts, movement for heavy-duty and passenger transport is prohibited.
