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by Guy Page
It took just nine days, 23 hours and 17 minutes for the first Stuckage of Smugglers Notch of 2025.
At 11:17 AM Monday morning May 19 the Vermont Agency of Transportation reported that “VT-108 Between Stowe and Cambridge ‘Smugglers Notch’ is CLOSED while crews work to remove a stuck Tractor Trailer. Drivers should expect delays in the area and seek an alternate route. An updated notice will be sent out when the roadway is clear.”
By mid-afternoon, state troopers revealed the operator, Musa Boima, 36, of Maryland, was traveling from Waterbury to Enosburg when he chose to disregard several signs stating tractor trailers were prohibited, and decided to drive around chicanes that were installed at the entrance to the notch road.
Boima claimed he saw a sign telling him he could drive through. As a result, the Notch was closed for about three hours while Polar Bear Towing and Recovery assisted with getting the tractor trailer out. Boima was issued a civil traffic ticket for “driving on lanes for traffic” and per Vermont law, the company Boima works for was issued a ticket for “tractor trailer in the notch” which carries a fine of $2,347.
The high-altitude, twisty-turny, impassable-in-winter road through the beautiful, fabled Smugglers Notch was opened up for vehicular travel at noon on May 9. For the second year, the road would feature ‘chichanes’ to discourage drivers of over-sized trucks from attempting the temptingly-direct route other than the approved bypass through Morrisville.
In the May 9 announcement, AOT declared:
- Crews are opening the gates on either side of the mountain and message boards have been illuminated indicating the reopening.
- Vehicles over 40-feet and combination vehicles over 45-feet in length are NOT permitted.
- Motorists are advised to exercise caution and patience at the Stowe and Cambridge sides of Smugglers Notch as traffic control devices have been installed again this season. These devices, known as chicanes, recreate the configuration of the roadway geometry at the top of the Notch. The objective of the chicanes is to allow overlength vehicles the ability to turn around before causing obstructions in the Notch.
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Categories: Transportation
Not sure if it is the drivers or the failure of the state highway department to come up with a better plan. The drivers are all using GPS systems and this road has not been taken out of this system for trucks.
I’ve traveled that road many many times. The signs clearly state no tractor trailers. It would be an impossibility for the tractor to navigate this road. There is a boulder rock the size of 1/3 of a tractor on the right side of the notch heading up its difficult for even a normal sized vehicle to navigate that especially if a vehicle was coming down at the same time.
The signs are posted maybe they should post a huge PHOTO of that turn by the boulder to make it PICTURE CLEAR. That is actually a great idea I hope “they” read this. 🌸 ~ Lisa Shapiro
Probably one of the Illegal truck drivers that Biden gave Commercial Licenses to that read or write English! I doubt he actually saw a sign that said he could go through! They are wreaking havoc and killing people across the Country
Richard Day please be advised that a properly programmed truck GPS will NOT route you through the notch. I verified this statement a couple of years ago with my Garmin GPS. In car mode it would route through the Notch, in truck mode it would not.
Any bets as to whether the guy’s name is something like Miguel vs. Richard or Steve?
Close enough Musa Bioma!😡
What took so long?
Like the “Ice Out” raffle for the sinking brick on Joe’s Pond, perhaps a similar raffle can be held for the first stupid “Language Comprehension Challenged” trucker who crashes into the “Smuggler’s Notch” bridge. And a hefty, hefty fine to buy some concrete Jersey Barriers or T-Walls to set out way before the bridge entrance. The signs don’t seem to be working…
A tractor trailer bends on the fifth wheel and when some one is smart enough to set up a barrier that a forty foot trailer can not go thru, this will solve the problem.
Trucks like that aren’t wasted on 40 ft trailers. Most likely pulling a 48 or 53 foot trailer.
Was there a raffle winner?
Good grief. Why isn’t the fine $50,000 or more ? That will fix this problem.
How do you get a CDL if you cannot read ENGLISH??
Biden administration thought it was a good idea to give one to them’
Probably can get a Commercial Drivers License the same way illegal aliens get a regular Drivers License–Go to a progressive legislator in a blue city, in a blue state, and they’ll just give you one…
*sighs* It’s obvious that these drivers just don’t learn. High time the fines go up, WAY up.
But the computer / gps said it was ok! I’ve fallen prey to these stupid devices in past, it’s easy to do.
How about this? A billboard showing stuck trucks?
The drivers do not have to read English as the computer in the truck is telling them what to do. They can not read the signs. How about some Jersey barriers set up in the correct position. That will stop a 40 foot trailer or a 53 foot trailer.
Too much stupid here to comment on.
“decided to drive around chicanes that were installed at the entrance to the notch road.”
THIS also did happen LAST year with the same result. Can we learn from these TWO results, and completely eliminate the bypass?
I would hope in addition to the fine (which should be much larger) that the shipping company would also be billed for the actual extraction costs. It seems that they would, but the article doesn’t make that clear.
Sign, sign, everywhere a sign,
Blocking up the scenery, breaking my mind,
Do this, don’t do that,
Can’t you read the SIGN?
True on the number of signs! additionally these are ugly V Tran construction signs which take up room in the pull offs. an we are losing more pull offs to illegal dumping. if a business has signage like V Tran they would be fined. the state needs to have a height bar after the last place for a delivery truck. they need to have a hard stop tatic right after Smuggs and after Top Notch (or whatever is the last business).
the chicanes did not work as promised an i hope they dont install permanent chicanes, what a waste of money. i will give credit to them that it was a trial period and not an immediate permanent action. lastly there are different GPS systems/apps
not all are alike. the state in its happy lets sue anybody, should sue the GPS app that said a truck can drive thru. how many years and trucks has it been? my goodness!
What ever is constructed for this problem it will only need to be able to allow a opening large enough for a firetruck to pass. This can be setup as a permanent structure.
The driver’s name is out of the norm, so therefore … ?