TDOT shares plans to manage road conditions amid winter storm
JACKSON, Tenn. — TDOT is making final preparations for the mix of winter weather headed our way this weekend.
📸: 2022
TDOT assures motorists that it is stocked and set to clear roadways of ice, snow, and sleet.
Salt supplies have been replenished for all counties in preparation, and crews they have also readied their snowplows and brine trucks.
Regional Communications Officer, Nichole Lawrence, tells us where TDOT plans to clear first.
“The interstate will be the priority and then those higher traveled, the highly-traveled U.S. state routes like the 412, the U.S. 45, those will be in that tier, but our main priority, if this event is anything again like what they’re expecting it to be, our main focus will be on that interstate traffic,” Lawrence said.
When TDOT hits those roads they will be specifically targeting areas vulnerable to freezing, such as hills, curves, ramps, bridges, and interchanges.
In the event of continued snowfall or a prolonged weather event, crews may need to repeatedly clear roadways. Lawrence says they will do.
“Our crews will be doing shift work, so they’ll be on several hours, and off several hours, so we’ll just rotate that throughout the event. You know again we’re just going to really stress for motorists to stay safe and stay off the roadways,” said Lawrence.
TDOT’s help team closely monitors different weather forecasts several days in advance to proactively prepare their staff to ensure coverage.
Trucks are pre-stocked with essential supplies, which then enable crews to respond quickly and maintain that readiness throughout the storm.
Also today, the Madison County Highway Department released a statement saying they are actively monitoring forecast to prepare for this weekend.
Chief Administrative Officer Bart Walls says crews are prepared and ready to respond as conditions develop, equipment has been checked, materials are staged and personal are on stand-by. The highway department will prioritize major routes and trouble spots like bridges, hills, and curves.
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