Local roads, highways reopen following historic blizzard 02/03/2011, 8:34 am

Steve Stout, steves@mywebtimes.com, 815-431-4082

Photo: Steve Stout Just minutes after it reopened late Wednesday, Interstate 80 near Route 71 looked clear and clean following a snowstorm that swept across the Midwest Tuesday night. I-80 between Morris and Princeton was shut down for much of Wednesday as well as a La Salle County portion of Interstate 39. Photo: Jeremy Reed Bob Kinkelman, cashier at Etna Oasis Truck Stop in Ottawa, waits on a customer during a marathon 30-hour-plus shift behind the counter Wednesday with fellow worker Carolyn Bass. The two truck stop employees pulled the long hours after the brutal winter storm kept co-workers from making into work. Hinkelman said, even though the weather was bad, business, mostly from stranded truckers, was "excellent." Photo: Jeremy Reed A line of tractor-trailers wait at the Enta Oasis Truck Stop on Route 71 in Ottawa for Interstate 80 to reopen late in the afternoon Wednesday. Drifting snows closed the interstate from Morris to Princeton for much of the day. Although it took state and county crews much of the day to dig them out, most of the local highways were reopened before sunset Wednesday after blowing and drifting snow forced road closures throughout the Illinois Valley. However, as of 6 p.m. Wednesday, the Illinois Department of Transportation reported some local state routes remain closed and are "impassable" at various points. They include: Route 23 from U.S. 30 to U.S. 34. U.S. 52 from Route 251 east. Route 71 from Cedar Point to Route 89. Route 178 south to Lowell from Route 71. Route 92 from Yorktown to Mendota. U.S. 34 from LaMoille to Princeton. Limited to zero visibility forced many truckers and other motorists off Interstates 80 and 39 during the height of the blizzard as thunder rumbled across the Midwest. IDOT officials closed local sections of both interstates as deep drifts and abandoned vehicles clogged the routes. And although there were as many as 20 passenger vehicles and tractor-trailers that become stuck on or slid off both interstates, state police said there were no injuries in those mishaps. Most of the stranded motorists sought shelter in truck stops or motels to wait out the weather. "The storm may have been bad for drivers, but it has been excellent for business," said Bob Hinkleman, cashier for Etna Oasis Truck Stop on Route 71 near I-80 late Wednesday afternoon. Hinkleman, who lives in Ottawa, was working with only "a couple hours of sleep" during a marathon shift that started at 11 a.m. Tuesday. "Other co-workers couldn't make it in for their shift, so me and another cashier (Carolyn Bass of Ottawa) stayed on all night and all day now," Hinkleman said. "We had trucks parked everywhere around the station. There must have been 60 to 70 of them. Sales were great. We even had a family with a little baby sleep most of the night in their car out there." Representative of the truck drivers waiting out the weather at the truck stop was Aaron Zeller who was driving from Detroit to Seattle. He fled I-80 after road visibility become "a major problem." He saw several tractor-trailers and two cars snowbound in the ditches before he pulled off the road. Zeller said he spent a "safe and comfortable night" in his warm semi-truck as did many of the professional drivers. Etna waitresses Pam Downey of Marseilles and Barbie Coney of Wedron credited fellow server Lori Schiffgins of Ottawa as pulling the longest shift in the stop's restaurant. "Lori was here for more than 24 hours working and waiting on tables when other people couldn't make it into work," said Coney. Downey and Coney were busy late in the afternoon pouring gallons of coffee and running plates to tables, but they didn't have high hopes for being too busy once the sun went down and I-80 was cleared. "This place will probably be empty and quiet once the ramps are re-opened." Many of the trucks moved back onto I-80 once the ramp barricades went down about 4 p.m.