(Hartford, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont announced today that he has declared a state of emergency ahead of the major winter storm that is expected to impact Connecticut later this week.
Additionally, he signed an order prohibiting commercial vehicles – such as permitted vehicles, trucks, RVs, tractor trailers, tankers and vehicles with trailers – from traveling on all limited access highways in Connecticut beginning at 12:00 a.m. on Sunday, January 25, 2026, and will remain in effect until further notice. A separate announcement will be made by the Governor’s Office when it is determined that the order regarding commercial vehicle travel can be lifted.
“This storm is going to significantly impair the ability to drive safely, and we want to spread the word that it will be extremely dangerous to be on the roads,” Governor Lamont said. “Do not put your life and the lives of others at risk. I am strongly urging everyone to plan to be in a specific location on Sunday morning and remain there for the duration of the storm, which is likely to continue overnight and into at least Monday morning.”
The order banning commercial vehicle travel does not apply to emergency response and recovery vehicles, including public safety vehicles, utility vehicles and vehicles carrying essential personnel or supplies.
Limited access highways are generally those that are designed to carry large amounts of traffic and have controlled access on and off ramps. (For a list of limited access highways in Connecticut, see Click here.)
Declaring a state of emergency gives the governor the authority to take certain actions necessary to protect public safety during emergency situations, such as imposing vehicle restrictions on state roads.
**download: Civil Preparedness Declaration of Emergency
**download: Order to implement commercial vehicle travel ban
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