Pocono News Section

Slushy Mess Greets Drivers on Wilkes-Barre Streets

Slushy Mess Greets Drivers on Wilkes-Barre Streets - Wednesday, February 13, 2008 at 4:07PM EST

Reported by: Mike Trim
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2008 @04:07pm EST

WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY- Snowy, slushy roads caused headaches all across our viewing area today, including the city of Wilkes-Barre.

Department of public works crews are working hard to make everything safe.
A slushy mess coated streets all across Wilkes-Barre.
One driver described the conditions saying, "Very slushy, slipper. It's not good to be our here. Very tough. I mean, even with a 4x4, it's not good. It's not good at all. You just got to be safe."
Department of public works crews have been out since Tuesday morning salting roads and clearing sidewalks.
DPW director of operations Butch Frati says they should expect to work through the night.
"It's very different. It's not something we can walk away from. Our people have been out doing this since yesterday morning, working right through the night, and will probably do it until this evening. It takes a toll not only on the men, but on the equipment," says Frati.

Frati says crews have to salt nearly twice as much for the snowy, rainy mix.
John Sopp drove through everything and says it’s been a rough ride. "The main roads are pretty clean but the side roads are a mess. A lot of water, a lot of ice," says Sopp.

Pennsylvania Avenue, next to Holy Redeemer High School seemed to get the worst of it.

Ice and snow is getting caught in catch basins, causing flooding. But while it's mostly doom and gloom on the roads, students here at Kings College made the most of this slushy mess, with a huge snowman right in the middle of campus.

DPW crews are expected to clear the catch basins and work through the night.
Director of operations Butch Frati tells us they've gone through more than 34 hundred tons of salt this winter.