Tow bans, traffic jams and parking problems | News

Some local cities declared snow emergencies as travel conditions deteriorated during the day Wednesday, January 30.

I-80 continued to be troublesome into the afternoon hours for drivers all across Iowa.  A statement from the Iowa Department of Transportation said persistent blowing snow was causing constant glazing of road surfaces, keeping east-west roads like I-80 slick. 

Crashes were reported in various locations all over the state.  I-80 travel was especially difficult Wednesday afternoon from Marshalltown east to Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. 

A morning crash blocked eastbound lanes of Interstate 80 near Brooklyn, Iowa at about 6:45 a.m.  The road reopened just before 8 a.m.

Multiple crashes were reported on I-80 near West Liberty, slowing traffic in both directions for several hours.  A jackknifed tractor-trailer slowed traffic near Durant Wednesday afternoon.    

A Scott County deputy narrowly missed being hit by a car as he investigated a crash on Highway 61 near Long Grove. 

Davenport city officials declared a snow emergency from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday.  Parking on posted snow routes is prohibited during a declared snow emergency in Davenport.  Vehicles parked on snow routes could be ticketed and/or towed. 

The mayor of Blue Grass declared a weather emergency from 12 a.m. Wednesday until 12 a.m. Thursday.  Vehicles should not be parked on city streets so emergency vehicles and snow plows have full access. 

A snow emergency was in effect for East Moline until 24 hours after snow stops falling.  Vehicles must be removed from city streets during the snow emergency, and vehicles remaining on city streets could be towed at the owner’s expense.

Iowa State Police declared a tow ban for Cedar County until further notice.  This means only police are allowed to call tow trucks and that citizens are prohibited from calling for a tow truck there.

A tow ban was also declared in Scott County, Iowa just after 8 a.m.  The Scott County tow ban was lifted at 11 a.m.