Algeria:Roads closed to traffic in several provinces due to snowfall
Snowfall caused traffic on a number of road intersections in several provinces in the center of the country on Monday, services of the National Gendarmerie said. Several roads were cut off to traffic on Monday following heavy snowfalls recorded in several provinces of the country, APS reports,
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Algeria-Roads-c...
A number of communities were isolated because of the impracticability of road sections in the wilaya of Setif where significant snowfalls have been recorded. The snowfall blocked traffic particularly on routes serving the cities of Ain El Kebira of Bougaâ, Beni Fouda and several other northern towns, and at the foot of Mount Meghress and its surroundings.
Many motorists were forced to leave their vehicles in garages or parking lots, according to civil protection, while many students were unable to reach their schools. The snow, accompanied by a sudden drop in temperature (mercury dropped to minus 4 degrees Celsius), was still fall into the night from Monday to Tuesday.
All means of snow removal has been mobilized in the municipalities concerned, while the public works departments and elements of Emergency Preparedness are hard at work to reopen supply roads and isolated communities. Snowfall was recorded also in the province of Tebessa resulting in drop in temperature across the region.
The services of the National Gendarmerie said that no section of the road network in the wilaya has been closed to traffic due to the weather. Snow also fell in the north of the province of Khenchela as Yabous and Bouhmama, and in several areas of the wilaya of Batna, including Arris, Ichemoul, Seriana where several stretches of road are impassable.
Several sections of roads in the province of Medea are closed to traffic on Monday, also because of snowfall in the region. These falls have caused the closure including "temporary" road traffic in a section of National Road No. 60, linking Ksar-el-Bukhari and Ouled Antar, and the town of El-and El-Omaria Aïssaouia on the national road No. 64.
Moreover, an important means of snow removal has been made by the leadership of Public Works (DTP) to maintain open traffic on major roads in the region, namely the national roads No. 01, 18 and 64. In total, ten plows, supported by several truckloads of salt, make regular rotations through this road to avoid possible interference that may cause their closure.
Eleven response teams are mobilized in the field to ensure the smooth flow of traffic on these roads. The device will remain in place during the term of the weather special.
Many roads are impassable because of the fact that snowflakes have hit the province of Tissemsilt including roads (RN) 19 and 14 of the sections Lazharia-Bordj Bounaama, the RN 14 between Theniet El Had and Layoune.
RN 60 is, in turn, completely blocked at the section between the towns of Bordj Emir Abdelkader and Theniet El Had. This situation required the intervention of the management of Public Works and Services Emergency Preparedness to thaw the ice and clear roads.
Services of Civil Protection reported two accidents on the RN 14 in the part connecting Tissemsilt and Khemisti, the first following a collision between two buses of public transport and the second in a slip of a commercial vehicle. No casualties were reported.
Efforts are underway to reopen two roads in the mountainous Jijel, still closed to traffic following snowfall recorded in the region since Sunday This is the path of wilaya 135 B, between Ouled Askeur (Jijel) and Terra Bainen, in the wilaya of Mila, more precisely at a place called "Kaa Ezzen", and the local road No. 14 situated in the town of Boudria, remained impassable until Monday afternoon.
Snow ploughs from the direction of Public Works were deployed Monday in areas affected by the snow, in the snow removal plan recently developed by local authorities.
The snow that fell on the province of Bejaia generated a lot of inconvenience, especially in rural areas, but without causing major damage or casualties.
Snow like powder covered both rural Barbach, the Akfadou, and Beni-Kherrata Maouche, caused a near paralysis of the road network, power outages and telephone and water infiltration in homes. More than 19,000 households in the province of Bejaia, are without electricity due to snowfall.
These failures are caused by breaks in cables and the "letting go" of some processors, because of the lack of care which they were subjected. The gas network has also been some disruptions, especially in the capital of wilaya where several districts sought for the same reasons private gas resources. The exact nature of these disturbances, however, has not been specified. The schools have maintained the doors closed because of snow as is the case in Beni-mélikeche Akbou, Beni-Maouche, or Kende and Kherrata.
National roads, 09 (Bejaia-Setif), 12 (Bejaia, Tizi-Ouzou), 74 (Bejaia, Beni Maouche by Setif) and 26 "A" (Bejaia, Tizi-Ouzou by Chellata) were all closed to traffic due to the pile of powder, which in places, reached 70 cm. All means of management of public works, and those municipalities were engaged, but in many areas, the procedure remains difficult. These elements have not affected, however, the operation of major socio-economic infrastructure of the wilaya. The Port is unaffected except for the activity of frozen grain handling, airport and rail have to function normally with their respective missions.
Many motorists were forced to leave their vehicles in garages or parking lots, according to civil protection, while many students were unable to reach their schools. The snow, accompanied by a sudden drop in temperature (mercury dropped to minus 4 degrees Celsius), was still fall into the night from Monday to Tuesday.
All means of snow removal has been mobilized in the municipalities concerned, while the public works departments and elements of Emergency Preparedness are hard at work to reopen supply roads and isolated communities. Snowfall was recorded also in the province of Tebessa resulting in drop in temperature across the region.
The services of the National Gendarmerie said that no section of the road network in the wilaya has been closed to traffic due to the weather. Snow also fell in the north of the province of Khenchela as Yabous and Bouhmama, and in several areas of the wilaya of Batna, including Arris, Ichemoul, Seriana where several stretches of road are impassable.
Several sections of roads in the province of Medea are closed to traffic on Monday, also because of snowfall in the region. These falls have caused the closure including "temporary" road traffic in a section of National Road No. 60, linking Ksar-el-Bukhari and Ouled Antar, and the town of El-and El-Omaria Aïssaouia on the national road No. 64.
Moreover, an important means of snow removal has been made by the leadership of Public Works (DTP) to maintain open traffic on major roads in the region, namely the national roads No. 01, 18 and 64. In total, ten plows, supported by several truckloads of salt, make regular rotations through this road to avoid possible interference that may cause their closure.
Eleven response teams are mobilized in the field to ensure the smooth flow of traffic on these roads. The device will remain in place during the term of the weather special.
Many roads are impassable because of the fact that snowflakes have hit the province of Tissemsilt including roads (RN) 19 and 14 of the sections Lazharia-Bordj Bounaama, the RN 14 between Theniet El Had and Layoune.
RN 60 is, in turn, completely blocked at the section between the towns of Bordj Emir Abdelkader and Theniet El Had. This situation required the intervention of the management of Public Works and Services Emergency Preparedness to thaw the ice and clear roads.
Services of Civil Protection reported two accidents on the RN 14 in the part connecting Tissemsilt and Khemisti, the first following a collision between two buses of public transport and the second in a slip of a commercial vehicle. No casualties were reported.
Efforts are underway to reopen two roads in the mountainous Jijel, still closed to traffic following snowfall recorded in the region since Sunday This is the path of wilaya 135 B, between Ouled Askeur (Jijel) and Terra Bainen, in the wilaya of Mila, more precisely at a place called "Kaa Ezzen", and the local road No. 14 situated in the town of Boudria, remained impassable until Monday afternoon.
Snow ploughs from the direction of Public Works were deployed Monday in areas affected by the snow, in the snow removal plan recently developed by local authorities.
The snow that fell on the province of Bejaia generated a lot of inconvenience, especially in rural areas, but without causing major damage or casualties.
Snow like powder covered both rural Barbach, the Akfadou, and Beni-Kherrata Maouche, caused a near paralysis of the road network, power outages and telephone and water infiltration in homes. More than 19,000 households in the province of Bejaia, are without electricity due to snowfall.
These failures are caused by breaks in cables and the "letting go" of some processors, because of the lack of care which they were subjected. The gas network has also been some disruptions, especially in the capital of wilaya where several districts sought for the same reasons private gas resources. The exact nature of these disturbances, however, has not been specified. The schools have maintained the doors closed because of snow as is the case in Beni-mélikeche Akbou, Beni-Maouche, or Kende and Kherrata.
National roads, 09 (Bejaia-Setif), 12 (Bejaia, Tizi-Ouzou), 74 (Bejaia, Beni Maouche by Setif) and 26 "A" (Bejaia, Tizi-Ouzou by Chellata) were all closed to traffic due to the pile of powder, which in places, reached 70 cm. All means of management of public works, and those municipalities were engaged, but in many areas, the procedure remains difficult. These elements have not affected, however, the operation of major socio-economic infrastructure of the wilaya. The Port is unaffected except for the activity of frozen grain handling, airport and rail have to function normally with their respective missions.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Algeria-Roads-c...