NCDOT Warns Against Unnecessary Travel Amidst Winter Weather Fury

RALEIGH, N.C. (WITN) – As North Carolina prepares for the year’s initial major winter storm, state transportation authorities are advising individuals not to travel during the storm except in cases of absolute necessity.

“Travel may be perilous across a large portion of the state throughout the weekend,” stated state Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins. “We recommend that non-essential travel be restricted to provide crews the opportunity to safely clear the roads.”

The DOT indicates that much of North Carolina is expected to experience a mixture of snow, ice, and freezing rain beginning Friday and continuing through Saturday morning.

As per the DOT, the greatest amounts of winter precipitation are predicted for the mountains, foothills, and areas of central North Carolina north of Interstate 85.

The DOT states that its personnel is closely monitoring the weather and making preparations. In every county, the DOT keeps a stock of front-end loaders, dump trucks equipped with brine applicators or salt spreaders, snowplows, and motor graders for the most challenging roads.

According to the DOT, crews statewide have already readied their vehicles and equipment, and have started treating roads in anticipation of any snow, ice, and freezing rain that the state might encounter. Numerous county DOT teams are applying a saltwater solution known as brine on roads to thwart ice from forming on surfaces.

Brine reduces the freezing temperature of water to approximately 18 degrees, according to the DOT.

The DOT further states that over 1,100 of its employees are pre-treating roads and preparing for the storm. As of 9 a.m. Thursday, DOT crews across the state had applied more than 633,000 gallons of brine on roads statewide.

The DOT possesses nearly 2,000 trucks that can be outfitted with plows and spreaders to eliminate snow and ice. The agency also mentions it has 238 motor graders, and NCDOT can store as much as 9,577 tons of salt and sand as well as 1.9 million gallons of brine at its storage facilities throughout North Carolina.

Additionally, the agency states it is positioning some trucks and equipment along roads where ice, snow, and water have historically accumulated during earlier winter weather events, and the DOT is prepared to dispatch crews with chainsaws capable of cutting and clearing fallen trees from roads.

Once the roads have been treated, the DOT indicates that its teams will be ready to respond immediately once the precipitation starts. They will operate continuously in 12-hour shifts to plow and treat snow and ice until all roads maintained by the state are clear.

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