ANGOLA, N.Y. (WKBW) — Drivers were stranded overnight at the Angola Service Area on the New York State Thruway due to heavy snow.
Joe Chenelly
Joe Chenelly
Joe Chenelly, one of the drivers who was stranded, messaged us on social media. According to Chenelly, about 40 people stayed in the food court overnight as the parking lot and access road were not plowed.
Joe Chenelly
Joe Chenelly
He said several trucks had stopped, which overwhelmed the road and blocked access to the gas and the exits.
Joe Chenelly
Joe Chenelly
In addition to being stranded, they also did not have access to the bathrooms. A sign on the main door and a large trash/recycling receptacle blocking the entrance to the bathrooms said “No restrooms! Since there is no water, we have no restrooms. We apologize!”
Joe Chenelly
Joe Chenelly
A spokesperson for the NYS Thruway Authority told us here at 7 News that crews worked to repair a frozen water valve, and water has been restored to the service area. In addition, they said that plows worked to clear the parking lots.
You can read a full statement from the Thruway Authority below:
“During snowstorms and severe weather, Service Areas on the Thruway provide motorists with a safe and secure location to escape the elements until weather conditions improve. Overnight, this area along Lake Erie saw snowfall rates at more than three inches per hour, winds gusting over 60 mph and wind chills at minus 20. It’s critical that tractor trailer drivers and other vehicles decided to safely pull into the service area rather than continuing their travels during those extreme conditions.
During this storm, we prioritized the safety of the highway and then shifted significant resources to Angola this morning including a heavy duty front end loader and large blower on site to remove snow. The vast majority of vehicles were able to depart at 8 or 9 this morning and clean up continues as additional snow falls.
We apologize for the lack of running water for a few hours in the overnight. Frigid temperatures caused a valve to freeze but bottled water was readily available for customers. Water was restored this morning.”
But according to past social media posts, there have been repeated troubles at the Angola stop. It was closed in late November and again in early December, also due to no water for the restaurants or bathrooms.
WKBW
Past Facebook posts on trouble at the Angola site.
The rest stop is operated by Applegreen. This Angola location was totally revamped and opened in March of last year. The Thruway Authority contracted with Applegreen. We’ve reached out to Applegreen, but have yet to receive a response.
Meanwhile, those stranded, like Joe, posted they were finally able to leave between 8 and 9 Tuesday morning.