Freezing Rain Causes Traffic Complications

Freezing rain and Thursday’s snowfall have brought a number of problematic situations to Florence, with more bad weather forecast for the weekend.

Traffic jams were created because of the temporary ban which prohibited tractor trailers from traveling on toll roads, interstates and city streets in face of the imminent snowfall, hundreds of truck drivers parked at the entrance of the A1 expressway and the Fi-Pi-Li as well Siena-Florence highways.  A traffic lane at the intersection of viale IX Agosto and viale Guidoni was also closed due to a fire which erupted along a high voltage cable, which before being put out, had caused damage to the asphalt.

Roads connecting Florence to Scandicci, including the entrance to the A1 toll road were flooded because the Ghindossoli tributary overflowed its banks, ultimately causing traffic to come to a 11 kilometer (7 mile) standstill.  There was also a traffic backup around Florence’s Peretola airport as well as on via Pisana and via Baccio da Montelupo leading to the Ponte all’Indiano viaduct.

A code yellow weather alert has been issued for Florence and Tuscany until midnight, March 3.  Heavy rain and freezing rain is expected in Florence, the Mugello Valley, and the Lunigiana (where the A15 road has been closed).

To read more in Italian, visit Florence’s La Repubblica news site.