KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Department of Transportation is rushing against incoming winter weather to make sure East Tennessee's roads are safe.
Since rain is a major part of the storm in most areas, officials with TDOT said they are not able to pretreat most roads. If they tried to apply brine that would prevent the road from freezing, officials said the rain would likely simply wash them away.
Instead, TDOT crews are running routes to try to keep up with the snowfall. They will be working to identify roads that most urgently need clearing, and if snow accumulates enough, to run through roads with snowplows.
"We stress to folks that if they do not have to be on the roadway during this winter weather event, then staying home is the safest place that you can be," said Mark Nagi, a spokesperson with TDOT. "It also gives our crews the extra room that they need, to do their jobs effectively and, most importantly, to do their jobs safely."
If drivers have no choice but to head out onto the roads, then officials said they should use caution. Motorists should make sure to give themselves extra braking room, in case they need to suddenly stop for something and risk sliding.
They also said people should be especially careful on bridges and overpasses. Those areas are the most prone to slick spots since warm air can fall off them and leave the road colder than other roads. Bridges especially are at risk for slick spots, they are usually surrounded by cold air since they are above water.