MEMPHIS, Tenn. — With winter weather just hours away, experts are encouraging residents to stay inside unless absolutely necessary. But for anyone that has to hit the road, there are measures being taken.
The City of Memphis and TDOT began preparing days ago ahead of the winter storm. Road conditions across much of the Mid-South as of 4 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon are clear, but that is expected to change by nightfall.
Officials say the work to make roadways safe begins months in advance of winter.
“We have to start throughout the year to get our salt bins full,” Nichole Lawrence, the TDOT Community Relations Director, said. “Right now, we have around 28,000 tons of salt on hand, which is a good beginning.”
TDOT is preparing to treat nearly 10,000 “lane miles” of highways and interstates, a job that has already started. Workers begin their day and then they take a brief rest before the sun goes down and then clock in for a 16-hour overnight shift.
“Hard spots that tend to be our problem areas,” Lawrence said. “We make sure those are covered real well. And I believe our guys are on a rest right now, and they’ll come back in to work the rest of the night.”
As soon as the weather picks up, it’s time for the salt trucks and snow plows. TDOT says they focus on problem areas but try to make sure the entire state is safe and clear.
The City of Memphis released a statement saying in part they “first treat major streets with inclines and declines before treating remaining major streets as needed.”
If you can, stay inside during winter weather. But if you’re going to brave the conditions, there are safety steps.
“You have to clean off the car, you want to drive slower to your destination, you don’t want to be in a hurry,” Ty Blaker, Instructor Maxwell Driving School, said. “You just want to take your time, because it’s just going to take more time to get to where you’re going safely.”
Lawrence added, “If you do see our vehicles out working on the highway, spreading salt or plowing the bridges or whatnot, make sure you give them plenty of space. We have a saying that goes “don’t crowd the plow.”
It bares repeating, if you can stay off the roads, do so!