Rowland said he was trying to avoid the kind of snow-induced backups and delays that plagued interstate highways throughout the East Coast during snowstorms last month, including a 102-vehicle pileup on I-95 in Virginia that was hampered by several jackknifed tractor-trailers.
Rowland said he hoped widespread public announcements to reach the trucking industry before the ban went into effect at 5 a.m. today.
"The word will get out, believe me," he said.
Linda Scottgeneral manager of Travel Centers of America truck stop on I-84 in Southington, said she posted notices and continues to announce the travel prohibition.
With difficult driving conditions expected, many drivers had already stopped and settled in for the night, she said.
In anticipation of the storm, state transportation crews Sunday mobilized almost 900 plows to cover more than 11,000 miles of state roads and highways. The state intended to use all 632 of its plow-fitted sand trucks while contracting out for an additional 257 vehicles, transportation officials said.
Plows manning the state's interstate highways and other main arteries were equipped with salt to keep the accumulations to a minimum. Plows on other roads were equipped with a mix of sand and salt, officials said.
