TDOT, City of Jackson gear up for wintry mix

MADISON COUNTY, Tenn. — The race is on as West Tennessee prepares to see a wintry mix Friday.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation is gearing up for the chance of snow and ice.

“In that 21 counties, we have 9,623 lane-miles that we have to keep clear,” TDOT spokesperson Nichole Lawrence said. “Today, our crews are out making sure the salt trucks are full and the bins are ready and all the gas tanks are filled up and ready to go.”

Trucks are gassed up and ready to go. Lawrence says other crews are mixing over 400,000 gallons of salt brine used for the roads.

“Salt brine mixture is a mixture of salt and water at a certain ratio they have worked out throughout the years,” Lawrence said.

As crews prepare the highways, they face a roadblock.

“This event with the rain coming first, we aren’t able to put the brine down first, so we are going to have to work with the timing and maybe get a layer of salt in between the freezing rain and snow,” Lawrence said.

There are 32 salt bins across the West Tennessee district, and inside are almost 28,000 tons of salt.

“The interstate is always our main priority,” Lawrence said. “We have about 50 to 55 thousand cars that come through Jackson a day.”

Crews also focus on other popular roads such as the 45 Bypass and Highway 412.

The City of Jackson is preparing their four salt trucks as well, saying the moment they get word of icy roads their crews are ready to clear it.

City officials say they have someone dedicated to watching both the weather and the roads.

With over 300 workers across the region and over 171 trucks, TDOT officials say they are ready to take action if the snow and ice get thick.