Skip to main contentIn an announcement that came several hours too late to be of any help to morning commuters, the Oregon Department of Transportation said at 10:40 a.m. that chains or traction devices are required for all vehicles on Portland-area highways.
The declaration was made as thousands of cars were already stalled on freeways and bridges, and as numerous accidents and spin-offs have turned highways into ice-covered parking lots. I-5 and I-84 are open but traffic is not moving, according to ODOT.
According to the Portland dispatch center of ODOT, the decision was made after the agency had consulted with the National Weather Service and had "waited to make sure the weather was stable" before making any declaration requiring traction devices.
WWeek 2015