MEMPHIS, Tenn.– Road conditions were much better Tuesday night than they were in the morning. City crews worked around the clock, starting midnight Sunday, but Public Works officials admitted there’s room for improvement in their plan of attack.
Officials told WREG they focused on bridges and overpasses and then highly traveled intersections. All 13 salt trucks were out on the road, but city councilors say this storm proved it might be time to take a second look at how the city handles these kinds of storms.
Mike Brown says getting around Memphis takes agility.
“It’s alright you just have to watch your step. Walk slowly,” he said.
The sun helped melt away some of the slush from the roads, but Tuesday morning’s commute was not easy for people who had to go to work.
City Councilwoman Wanda Halbert said, “I got out there and drove it myself, and I do have some concerns.”
Halbert says she doesn’t know what the administration’s plan was for knocking this storm out, but can already see it needs some fine tuning.
“Clearly I can see signs the city was out there working, just was it enough? Do we need to do more? What do we need to invest to do more?” she said.
City officials broke down their plan of attack and first priorities after a storm hits.
Robert Knecht with the Department of Public Works said, “Treating bridges and overpasses first, then we do hills and inclines, and then we do major intersections.”
Knecht says they need to work on their speed and following through on their routes, but overall, he’s proud of his team.
“You can always do a better job. I think overall our personnel have put in a lot of hours. They’ve worked very hard. They want to do the best they can for the city,” he said.
Halbert says she knows everyone is putting in extra hours, but it’s going to take a lot more before everything is back to normal and most importantly safe.
“I can’t see any way the schools would be able to open this week because in the residential areas the streets are absolutely horrible,” she said.
Ice and snow on sidewalks aren’t a public works task, but Knecht knows that will come up for debate in the wake of this storm.