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Stranded Trucks Close Route 108 Mountain Pass In Vermont

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Vermont State Police say that multiple trucks have forced the summmer closure of a Route 108 mountain pass through Smugglers’ Notch, Vermont after becoming stranded on its narrow, winding roads.

Wednesday, a truck hauling 99,000 pounds of sand (to a golf club) became stuck and damaged after getting hung up on several large boulders between the rock cliffs. Sand had to be off-loaded from the trailer so the vehicle could be removed and the road reopened.

Yesterday, another truck loaded with stone got stuck on the boulders of the mountain pass between Stowe and Cambridge, closing down the road. The rig was finally freed 24 hours later after crews helped release it from the boulders and slowly reversed it to the bottom of the mountain.

Police say both drivers were ticketed for failure to obey traffic control devices and equipment violations.

Right now, signs saying “Trucks Prohibited” appear only after vehicles are already headed up the notch. VTrans is looking into adding “No Trucks” signs on Route 15 in Jeffersonville, just before trucks turn onto Route 108.

Agency of Transportation officials said trucks will start to climb the hill thinking it’ll get better, but in fact it gets worse. It’s not until drivers reach the top of the notch do they realize that they may be in trouble.

“A very common thing we see is that truck drivers are simply following their GPS. And GPS devices don’t recognize the fact that this route is not open to truck traffic and they’d guide them up and over that route, and they very quickly find that they’re stuck,” Vt. State Police Capt. Paul White told WCAX News.

Source
Times Argus
WCAX

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