Heavy snowfall and blizzards in the highlands in Van have caused disruptions in transportation since last week. According to the statement from the Metropolitan Municipality, out of the 88 neighborhoods and hamlet roads that were closed due to adverse weather conditions, 61 have been reopened. Snow removal teams continue their work on the remaining 27 closed roads.
In Bitlis, intense snowfall that started at night has negatively affected daily life. The Director of Road and Transportation Services at the Provincial Special Administration, Ümit Kurtkan, stated that 75 village roads were closed due to the heavy snowfall in the city. Kurtkan noted that snow removal teams are working to open village roads for transportation. Bitlis Municipality and Highways crews are also conducting snow clearing operations on the roads to prevent disruptions in transportation. Citizens are also cleaning the snow accumulated in front of their homes and workplaces as well as on their vehicles.
Meanwhile, due to the ongoing snowfall in the city, some vehicles lost control on the Bitlis-Tatvan road, causing disruptions in transportation and resulting in several traffic accidents with material damage in various parts of the city. In Hakkari, 5 settlement roads that were closed two days ago due to snowfall and blizzards have been reopened as a result of the teams’ efforts. In the city where there are no closed village roads, snow removal teams continue to work on expanding some village roads.
At the Merga Bütan Ski Resort road, located 12 kilometers from the city center, snow thickness reached 5 meters in some areas, surprising onlookers. The sight of snow piles meters high on the road kept open by the Provincial Special Administration teams amazed those who saw it. A group of nature lovers who came to the region tried to capture the view of mountains covered in snow.
Esat Kılınç, one of the nature lovers, told an AA correspondent that snowfall has been effective in the region in recent days. Kılınç mentioned that in some areas, snow thickness has reached 5 meters after the precipitation, emphasizing that this year has seen heavier snowfall. He expressed his surprise at the amount of snow on the road to the ski resort, saying, “I have not seen this much snow on the road to the ski resort for years. We went for a walk in the region today. I did not expect this much snow this month. Nature is beautiful, snow is beautiful. The scenery is amazing.”
