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80 plow trucks patrol entire Maine Turnpike

The Turnpike also reduced the speed from Kittery to Augusta down to 45 miles per hour, which is common in snowy conditions.

CUMBERLAND (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- The Maine Turnpike dispatched all of its plow trucks Wednesday as the strongest part of the snow storm barreled directly along Interstate 95.

Erin Courtney, a MTA spokesperson, said the Turnpike has roughly 80 trucks, and that all of them were on the roads. She said when storms hit portions of the highway, they concentrate crews in those areas.

She said each route is about 6 or 7 miles one-way, or 12 to 14 round-trip, and depending on visibility or traffic, each route can take about 45 minutes.

The Turnpike also reduced the speed from Kittery to Augusta down to 45 miles per hour, which is common in snowy conditions.

Some drivers had to pull over to scrape ice and snow from their windshields.

”Messy, slippery, dangerous, not fun," said one driver, who did not want to be identified when they stopped at the Cumberland rest stop.

Truck drivers say many drivers neglect to change their habits in the snow.

"Other people are on their phone or they're not paying attention -- maybe they don't have their lights on, which is important in the snow or rain," said Richard Newton, a truck driver from Waterboro. "It can be tough. It's a challenge watching everyone else and driving a truck that's 75 to 90 feet long."

Newton said his trucks can weigh 80,000 pounds and can be difficult to maneuver if they have to react to someone else's poor driving.

”It’s aggravating because you’re trying to do your job and be safe and get home to your family and you want everyone to get home to their family," said Newton.

On smaller roads, such as Route 22 in Gorham, traffic was slow due to many people getting out of work early and trying to drive on snow-covered roads.

Meteorologists expected white-out conditions expected in the early evening. Newton said his company allows him to pull over if he feels unsafe and urged others to do the same.

”It’s not worth risking it. The stuff that we haul – new cars – they won’t spoil so we can pull over and go to bed or go home or wait til tomorrow because the sun might be shining," said Newton.

The Maine Turnpike Authority plans to keep its drivers on the road until after the storm is over.

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