Oregon Public Broadcasting

As Oregonians dig out from a weekend snow storm that dumped well over a foot of snow on much of the state, highway crews are also busy re-opening roads closed by the weather, including I-84 in the Columbia Gorge.  Pete Springer has more.

Oregon Department of Transportation officials also re-opened Highway 6 between Tillamook and Banks Tuesday morning.

But Highway 26 and Highway 18 remain closed in the Coast range due to downed trees and power lines.

Meanwhile, in the Portland area, only semi-trucks are required to have chains installed.

But ODOT urges all motorists to carry chains.

And if you’ve noticed the plowed roads seem really bumpy, ODOT’s Dave Thompson says it’s because their snow plows are using rubber bits on their blades.

Dave Thompson “In the mountains, in Government Camp, Mt. Hood area, we have a steel bit on the blade.  Just like they would in other states that get an awful lot of snow.  Because the mountain gets a lot of snow.  But in the Portland-metro area, we have a rubber bit on the blade.”

Thompson says the rubber bit keeps the snowplows from ripping out raised pavement markers used on highways in the Portland area.