By Tiffany Williams –
HARTFORD — Ned Lamont is sending reinforcements north.
The governor approved a mutual aid request to deploy snow removal crews and equipment from the Connecticut Department of Transportation to assist Rhode Island and Massachusetts as they dig out from a major winter storm that slammed the region over the last several days.
Eighty pieces of equipment — trucks and snowblowers — are heading out, backed by 125 trained drivers and mechanics pulled from all four CTDOT maintenance districts.
They roll at 3:00 a.m. Thursday. The plan: 24-hour shifts through at least Sunday, March 1. Return timing depends on what Mother Nature does next week.
“Connecticut is prepared to support our neighbors in Rhode Island and Massachusetts and deliver aid to help in the clean-up from this blizzard,” Lamont said. “Our CTDOT crews worked around the clock in the storm’s aftermath to get Connecticut’s roads clear and safe for all travelers, and I appreciate that they have accepted this mission to provide support to our neighbors. Their tireless dedication and commitment makes us proud.”
REGIONAL RESPONSE MODE
This isn’t charity. It’s coordination under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, the nation’s all-hazards mutual aid system.
Connecticut has used EMAC before — sending help to North Carolina after Hurricane Helene in 2024 and aiding Maryland and Washington, D.C. during a major winter storm in 2016.
“By sending our crews and equipment, we are providing critical support to the region,” Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said. “This deployment shows the value of regional cooperation in keeping roads safe and the economy moving during extreme winter weather.”
CTDOT will coordinate directly with transportation officials in Rhode Island and Massachusetts and return home when conditions allow.
Bottom line: manpower, machinery and midnight shifts — all in motion to keep the Northeast moving.