MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Mid-South road crews are prepared to treat roadways in the overnight hours going in to Friday.
Forecasters expected rain to turn to snow or ice early Friday morning, leaving parents like Maricela Anastacio concerned.
“I just heard because of my daughter’s school. They’re sending us emails about the weather, snow,” she said.
But others thought Mother Nature was just playing a trick. Brad Seelig didn’t want to change his plans.
“It’s pretty warm now, so I can’t imagine it’ll freeze too bad,” Seelig said.
Experts still expect the snow and ice to wreak havoc on the morning commute when it’s hitting the hardest.
And the rain didn’t help with preparations; crews couldn’t use brine to treat the roads Thursday because it would wash away.
“We will then depend on our other technology-the granular salt and sand to provide traction,” Memphis Public Works Director Robert Knecht said.
Officials said they’re most worried about bridges and overpasses, including the Interstate 40 flyover. The Tennessee Department of Transportation said it has one of its 37 plow trucks dedicated to the flyover, and it would treat the road continuously. Officials didn’t think they’d close the overpass but asked drivers to plan alternate routes.
“We typically know where our trouble spots are that freeze quick. In our district they’re really good about posting trucks at those locations to monitor them correctly,” said TDOT’s Michael Welch.
Officials recommended drivers stay home Friday if possible.
