As we get ready for the winter precipitation that is scheduled to fall overnight, the Texas Department of Transportation is keeping a very close check on the roads.
Transportation crews have been working throughout the week to treat the roads in an effort to make them as safe as possible for motorists.
As the winter cold approaches, they have stated that they are prepared to go out and treat any places that are causing problems.
“We’re full-time RVers and we had a spot that we were staying in until the end of the month and then heading back to Arizona in February,” said to Doug Poag.
Poag’s decision was altered as a result of the onset of the cold.
When I got up on Sunday morning, I discovered that my water pipes had frozen, despite the fact that I had wrapped everything. Due to the fact that my water pump inside froze up, we are no longer able to get water. In response to my statement, he stated, “That’s it, let’s pack up and leave early so that we can head back to Arizona.”
It is anticipated that the region of North Texas would be affected by the deep freeze for a few days.
“I know we have a lot of swing in our temperatures, so it’s been very unpredictable and radical,” according to Poag.
To his hometown of Oklahoma City, where there is snow on the ground, Marcus Pugh is making his way home.
It was sixty minutes before we arrived. She stated that the temperature began to drop as soon as we left, and that there were snow flakes after that.
The Fort Worth and Dallas districts of the Texas Department of Transportation are continuing to work 12-hour shifts until the temperature in the area rises above freezing.
A total of 300,000 gallons of brine were utilized by staff in the Dallas region over the course of the past several days in order to treat the major highways and roadways.
“We want people to understand the brine is going to help, but it’s going to eliminate the freezing precipitation and people need to drive to the conditions out there and drive like there is ice on the road,” said Tony Hartzel, who works for TxDOT.
TxDOT is currently in a “watch and wait mode,” and they are prepared to switch out their equipment in order to apply salt and sand.
“There are going to be crews out there in the overnight hours when the wind chills are below 0, checking those roads, putting down brine,” according to Hartzel. “Depending on what precipitation falls, it could be sand or some chat or small rocks, which help give some traction or some regular salt on the roads as well.”
The refreezing of objects overnight is another cause for concern.
It is possible that Monday night will be a difficult moment for us, depending on what we receive. Always operate under the assumption that there will be some precipitation on the roads until the temperature rises above freezing, as this is what Hartzel suggested.
He reminds vehicles to maintain a distance of two hundred feet behind their personnel.
And of course, as we are reminded on a regular basis during these weather events, if you do not have to go out, you should definitely stay indoors.
“If you don’t have to leave, you shouldn’t. That is the most important point. According to Hartzel, “Let us treat the roads and get everything passable, and we will be looking forward to getting back to normal early the following week.”
