Chafee closes all R.I. roads to non-essential travel
Providence -- Rhode Island's governor has ordered residents to stay off the roads as the state begins to dig out from the winter storm.
Gov. Lincoln Chafee imposed the statewide ban on all non-essential traffic Saturday morning.
He said the temporary travel ban will help crews remove snow from clogged roads and aid utility workers as they work to restore power to 183,000 customers now without electricity.
Crews plowed major roadways in Rhode Island through the night, but roads remain choked with snow that in some places is more than two feet deep.
State police say no injuries or significant accidents were reported on state highways, though many cars will have to be dug out of snow drifts.
The state remains under a blizzard watch until 1 p.m. today.
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