Madison County Highway Dept discusses road condition frustrations

3 hours ago

Nyana Whitelaw,

MADISON COUNTY, Tenn. – Madison County officials are facing backlash over safety concerns regarding numerous roads that remain icy and dangerous.

Days after the recent winter storm swept over portions of West Tennessee, many areas have been blanketed in ice and snow. As the Madison County Highway Department works to clear these roads, many community members are growing frustrated.

“We understand people are frustrated and that frustration is valid. You know, ice covered roads are dangerous. Nobody wants to see them, you know, like that in that condition,” said Bart Walls, Madison County Highway Department Superintendent.

Walls tells us they have been prioritizing main roadways such as Harts Bridge Road, Riverside Drive, and Old Medina Road.

With frigid temperatures expected to return this weekend, many are questioning if the roads will ever be clear.

Walls said the incoming artic blast could delay their efforts and leave many roads icy well into next week.

The challenge the highway department faces is the thick bonded ice on the roadway. He said snow plows are not effective in these conditions.

“Once that ice bonds to the pavement, a snow plow really isn’t effective on it because snow plows are meant to push snow. A snow plow can’t really do much to it other than just kind of scrape over the top of it,” said Walls.

Madison County currently has four snow plows and four salt spreaders. Many people have questioned why the county did not invest in additional equipment. Walls said it all comes down to tax dollars and how to spend it.

“Does the county want to have hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayers dollars tied up in equipment that may or may not get used over a period of two to three years,” said Walls.

The highway department is responsible for clearing county roads, but they are not responsible for state roads. Those roads are the responsibility of TDOT.