KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — After snow covered many areas of East Tennessee during a winter storm on Thursday, freezing temperatures were expected overnight into Friday morning. It brought concerns of black ice on the road, and spurred crews with the Tennessee Department of Transportation to take action.
"Our TDOT crews will be working throughout the night," said officials with TDOT. "They'll continue to plow and treat roadways all across our East Tennessee region."
They said they are responsible for around 9,000 miles of road, making sure all that asphalt is clear of dangerous snow, slush and black ice. The roads stretch into the upper corners of East Tennessee.
And as freezing temperatures move back into the region overnight, they said they were worried the roads could refreeze after already being treated ahead of the storm. They said they were especially concerned of refreezing on bridges and overpasses, including ramps to highways.
Those areas tend to freeze quicker than most other roads since they lose heat from both sides. Bridges especially tend to freeze since they are usually surrounded by colder air compared to the ground.
Most of all, TDOT officials urged people to stay home if they could. They said the fewer people on the roads while they were in hazardous conditions, the better.
"It allows our crews to have the extra room that they need to do their job efficiently, and most importantly to do their job safely," said officials.
But if drivers have no choice but to travel Friday morning, TDOT said they should give themselves a lot of extra braking room. Most of all, they should be cautious and slow down.