UPDATE: Flights resume at Peoria’s airport after snowstorm stoppage

UPDATE: 2:21 p.m.

PEORIA, Ill. — Airlines are once again flying at General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport following a brief shut down of flights, presumably due to weather.

Peoria airports director Gene Olson tells WMBD News UPS cargo aircraft continued flying in and out of the area’s primary air hub on Wednesday, “but the commercial passenger airlines cancelled everything.”

Olson says the first passenger flight to arrive on Thursday was a Norwegian Airlines flight from St. Petersburg, Florida around 12:30 p.m.

According to FlyPIA.com, there were still several arrivals and departures cancelled for later Thursday.

This local impact is added to the more than 4,000 flights reported cancelled nationwide Thursday morning by Flight Aware and largely as a result of a massive winter storm that has gripped much of the Central U.S. through midweek.

Olson reminds many returning Peoria residents they are likely to find their vehicles blocked in parking spots surrounded by higher banks of freshly plowed snow.

“All of our people in the parking lot have shovels in their car and will come help them out and pull them out so they can drive off,” said Olson.

He says airport snow fighters continued working to keep runways clear throughout this week’s snow storm despite the airline’s cancellations.

Olson says that decision was made to ensure Peoria’s main airport could service any aircraft experiencing emergency mechanical issues and needing a place to land.

UPDATE: 12:04 p.m.

PEORIA, Ill. — The City of Peoria’s winter storm street parking ban has been extended another 14 hours, presumably to help local “Snow Fighters” wrap up their work clearing roads and streets of all the snow.

The parking ban is now extended until 8 a.m. Friday.  Before the decision to extend it, the ban was set to expire at 6 p.m. Thursday.

“Ultimately, it was the best thing to do to be able to get the road clean from curb to curb,” said Peoria Mayor Rita Ali amidst some criticism about the decision to disrupt residents’ usual parking habits.

Ali says she doesn’t get any special treatment either when it comes to her residential street getting snow plowing. So, she says she understands residents feeling frustrated by whatever work has or hasn’t been done.

“It takes time,” said Ali. “We’re encouraging people to just be patient, be cautious while you’re out there if you go out there. If you don’t have to go out today, we’re encouraging you to stay in.”

An update release from city officials said local snow plow crews had cleaned roughly 30 percent of the more than 1,200 lane miles of Peoria by just before noon Thursday.

Officials are also offering parking alternatives to those who might have difficulty in finding adequate spots amidst the extended ban.

Residents are told they may move their cars to the Twin Towers Parking Garage, 123 SW Jefferson Street, Niagara Deck, 109 W Adams Street, Jefferson Deck, 236 SW Jefferson Street, and Northwoods Mall, on the south side of the lot, near Interstate 74.

The release continues, saying;

“There will be no charge to residents using the deck, but those using the parking decks will need to take the ticket for access. “

Decks will be monitored by security.  Alternative parking locations will be available from 3 pm on Tuesday, February 1 until 8 am on Saturday, February 5.

Drivers are being reminded those who violate the city’s street parking ban could face a very sudden inconvenience with their car being towed and could face a minimum fine of $50.

(WMBD’s Will Stevenson and Cooper Banks contributed to this report.)

UPDATE: 8:33 a.m.

PEORIA, Ill. — Conditions continued to improve for Peoria area drivers through the early part of the day Thursday as snowfall in the region tapered off and a second wave of heavy winter weather shifted further toward communities in Southern Illinois.

Snow fighters with the City of Peoria managed to clear off most arterial surface streets throughout town, including War Memorial Drive, Knoxville Ave. and Illinois Route 6.  Traffic One has reported improved driving conditions, particularly after sunrise and as more cars began traveling out on local roads.

A limited number of brave motorists also managed to sustain speed limit travel along Interstate 74 heading into and out of downtown Peoria.

The city’s commercial core is where snow fighters had hoped to clear roads curb-to-curb and allow downtown businesses to resume, at least closer to normal operations by earlier Thursday.

“Downtown…we’re going to clean off around the parking meters and parking lanes so that business can function downtown,” said the city’s Public Works Deputy Operations Director, Sie Maroon.

Maroon says contract snow fighters remained an essential part of the effort to clear neighborhood streets across the city through the storm. Even with the help, he says city trucks will be going back through residential streets to carry out complete curb-to-curb snow clearing through Thursday and Friday.

Maroon said he did not expect a return to normal driving conditions until sometime late Friday or early Saturday.

The same prediction was made by the head of snow fighting efforts in one of Peoria’s suburban communities early Wednesday. Brett Olson, Street Maintenance Manager in Pekin said he didn’t expect residential neighborhoods to be passable until sometime Friday.

There were only 13 snow fighters working the roads in Pekin through the storm, rotating 12 hour shifts to complete the work.

A BROADER IMPACT

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ORIGINAL STORY:

PEORIA, Ill. — Snow fighters were given some time and space to gain ground later Wednesday as street clearing efforts continued in Peoria.

A news release sent by city Public Works officials said local snow plow drivers had made “tremendous progress” in their efforts to that point.

Deputy Operations Director Sie Maroon echoed that optimism, saying his teams and newly hired contractors could “see the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak.”

Snow fighters were set to continue plowing main arterial roads, turn lanes and medians throughout the night.

Maroon says Peoria’s heaviest traveled four and six lane roads should be in decent shape by around sunrise Thursday with work beginning soon thereafter to open Peoria’s commercial core to commuters once again.

“Downtown…we’re going to clean off around the parking meters and parking lanes so that business can function downtown.”

That was anticipated to be underway or completed sometime Thursday morning.

Maroon says contract snow fighters remained an essential part of the effort to clear neighborhood streets across the city through the storm. Even with the help, he says city trucks will be going back through residential streets to carry out complete curb-to-curb snow clearing through Thursday and Friday.

Maroon said he did not expect a return to normal driving conditions until sometime late Friday or early Saturday.

The same prediction was made by the head of snow fighting efforts in one of Peoria’s suburban communities early Wednesday. Brett Olson, Street Maintenance Manager in Pekin said he didn’t expect residential neighborhoods to be passable until sometime Friday.

There were only 13 snow fighters working the roads in Pekin through the storm, rotating 12 hour shifts to complete the work.