MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Stretching the length of the entire city, Poplar Avenue is one of Memphis’ main corridors, but Tuesday morning much of it was covered with snow and ice.
“Poplar has been pretty dicey,” said Don Miller.
His Midtown Wine and Spirits store sits right on Poplar. Outside snow and ice sits right on the street, even though city crews cleared a portion of the road less than a block away at the Union Extended Overpass.
“It’s a main corridor you would think that they would kinda make that one of their big priorities,” said Miller.
Drivers noticed it too.
“I haven’t seen any snow plows at all, not on the city streets, but the highways look good,” one driver on Poplar Avenue told us.
The City of Memphis said they did treat Poplar with brine and would continue to do so, but they also told us something else. Even though Poplar is a main city artery, only certain portions are focused as top priority; spots like overpasses or underpasses.The City says for the most part Poplar Avenue is flat. So those parts that aren’t near an incline or an emergency rout aren’t top priority.
It’s why you will see miles of snow covered road on Poplar Avenue and then a bridge on Poplar that is perfectly clear.
The same goes for another main artery, Union Avenue.
“I have just gone a couple of blocks now. There is a lot more snow in the road in some places where the tires have not really cleared it out yet,” another driver told us.
Our cameras found streets being cleared and salt and sand trucks around Memphis. City officials say that will continue for the next 24 hours. But for most portions of the heavily traveled Poplar, be prepared. That snow might not be so quick to go.
The City of Memphis says major streets that aren’t near an incline are treated on an as-needed basis.
They say they do plan to treat Poplar Avenue again in about 24 hours.
