Georgia DOT continues preparations for winter storm

The Georgia Department of Transportation continues preparation operations ahead of Tuesday's winter storm. (Georgia Department of Transportation)

As a winter storm descends upon Georgia, the Georgia Department of Transportation continues to work to keep roads clear and safe. Since Sunday morning, crews have been treating Georgia interstates, priority state routes, bridges, and overpasses with brine, a mixture of salt and water designed to keep ice from bonding to the road.

As of Tuesday morning, more than 43,000 lane miles had been treated with over 1.7 million gallons of brine. According to GDOT, all interstates and priority state routes had been treated at least one time by early Tuesday morning, with many treated multiple times.

The National Weather Service predicts that central and southern Georgia could start seeing impacts from the storm as early as noon Tuesday. Heavier precipitation is expected to occur south of I-85, but there could be some accumulations north of the interstate.

GDOT crews will continue to monitor and treat roads through Wednesday as the storm moves out of the state. However, temperatures will remain below freezing, which could affect how well the brine works. Additionally, overnight melting and refreeze could create hazardous driving conditions.

“This is an enormous winter weather event, and it’s going to impact parts of the state that don’t often see this kind of weather,” said Georgia DOT Commissioner Russell R. McMurry. “We will continue to be agile and direct our resources where they most need to go.”

GDOT crews will rely on the Road Weather Information System (RWIS) and sensors in the roadway at 57 locations statewide to help predict road conditions such as ice, temperature, precipitation, and wind. RWIS data helps Georgia DOT deploy crews to those trouble spots.

Two express lanes are currently closed: the I-75 Northwest Corridor Express Lanes northwest of metro Atlanta and the I-75 South Metro Express Lanes south of metro Atlanta. Those closures will remain in place until officials determine it is safe to reopen them.

While GDOT can clear roads, they cannot do so effectively if they are filled with vehicles. Motorists are encouraged to limit travel as much as possible and to stay informed of changing weather conditions. If you must be out, exercise extreme caution and give GDOT crews the space they need to work safely.