By Bryan Dorr
Tuesday, January 27, 2009, 5:08 PM PST

CASCADE LOCKS, Ore. - Motorists traveling through the Columbia River Gorge found themselves fighting treacherous road conditions and lengthy delays on Tuesday.

Interstate 84 became between Troutdale and Warrendale at milepost 35 was bare and wet by afternoon, but between Warrendale and Cascade Locks patches of ice and slush still remain on the roadway.

The eastbound lane traffic was halted around 12:30 pm for about 30 minutes near the Bonneville Dam exit. Various reports rippling through on CB radios said snow plows and sanding trucks were called in to assist the stalled semi trucks on the hill before the Toothrock Tunnel.

The Oregon State Police reported numerous vehicle crashes on Interstate 84 between Cascade Locks and Hood River because of the slick road conditions. They did not specify the seriousness of the crashes or the injuries.

The snowfall in the Gorge turned into light rain by afternoon.