Saint John's Westfield Road closed until storm eases

Saint John's Westfield Road is closeduntil further notice andpolice are asking motorists to stay off other roads throughout the city as conditions continue to deteriorate.

Westfield Road is "impassable" and the situation is not expected to change until the storm eases and crews have an opportunity to get into the area,an advisory issued by the city at 6:20 p.m. states.

"Those in the area or travelling to the area should shelter in place until further notice."

Vehicles were getting stuck throughout the day, causing difficulties for emergency responders.

Plows were pulled off Highway 1, between St. Stephen and River Glade, around noon, but city crews pressed on with 53 pieces of equipment working at snow removal.

Residents will be notified if the plows are taken off the roads, officials said.

• Public roads in southern, central N.B. restricted to emergency vehicles
• Parts of Atlantic Canada pummelled by blizzard as travel warnings remain
• CBC New Brunswick's Storm Centre

Saint John has declared an overnight parking ban for the north, east and west areas to allow for snow removal.

Any vehicles parked on streetsin the north, east and west areas of the cityafter midnight will be ticketed and/ortowed at the owner's risk and expense.

The ban remains in effect until 7 a.m. on Tuesday.

"The City of Saint John apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause," the advisory said.

City offices and facilities were closed, andSaint John Transit was not operating.Garbage collection and other services were also cancelled.

"Basically, the city is just running essential services, which, on a day like today, would be police, fire and our snow removal, as well as a skeleton crew for Saint John Water," said transportation commissioner Mike Hugenholtz.

No parking ban has been declared for the south-central peninsula.

That area was under an overnight parking ban on Feb. 10.

In neighbouring Rothesay, dozens of transport trucks were lined up at the Dolan Road Irving, which is open 24 hours and has shower facilities for the truckers, who were settling in for a long wait.

"Couldn't see nothing," said driver Maurice Bonspille. "I'm not putting my life in danger for a load. Can't move, can't move."

Michel Dugas agreed.

"We came down loaded," he said. "Now we're going back empty, so the wind is just blowing our containers from side to side.

"There's so much snow that we're just drifting all over the place and it's just too dangerous."

Paul Morrow of New Germany, N.S., was part of a convoy of four trucks hauling salmon to Blacks Harbour, but nobody was at the fish packaging plant to handle the fish.

"They're talking Tuesday before they can get anybody in the plant to work the fish Tuesday night," he said.