NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — With an arctic blast expected over the next few days, cities in Middle Tennessee are preparing for the potential for ice and snow on the roadways.
The incoming winter weather event has the potential to impact Nashville and Davidson County, prompting officials with the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT) to prepare for the possibility of freezing rain and light ice accumulation.
To prepare for the anticipated winter weather, NDOT will be treating bridges and overpasses on all 31 primary routes with brine solution. Additionally, NDOT crews will be on standby throughout the weekend to respond immediately to any worsening weather conditions, should they occur.
“We have 40 snowplow trucks ready with crews to ensure that first responders can get to people and public transit can run safely on any detours,” said NDOT Director Diana Alarcon. “All of our brine storage tanks and salt bins are filled to capacity and we are dedicated to making sure the city can function amidst any conditions that come our way.”
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell has encouraged all Nashvillians to stay up-to-date on the weather forecast over the weekend.
“We’ve got more snowplows ready to go on more routes than ever before,” he said. “My hope is all Nashvillians will stay weather-aware and exercise patience. If we do have a winter storm event, we are prepared.”
Ahead of the new year, NDOT recently updated its snow removal primary and secondary routes to be more efficient and cover more of the county. The department said it will be moving to a post-secondary list rather than call-in requests this winter. Reports can still be made to hubNashville and will be used for data gathering and evaluation to inform response during future winter weather events.
The City of Murfreesboro is also preparing to pretreat roads ahead of the anticipated winter weather.
The city recently added new snow plows to its fleet and purchased 1,000 additional tons of salt for battling ice and snow in Rutherford County.
“As we have in past winters, the City of Murfreesboro Street Department takes a pro-active approach by applying salt brine to the roads before ice and snow begins hitting the roadway,” said Murfreesboro Public Works Executive Director Raymond Hillis. “Our team is always ready to prepare streets and remove ice and snow on major routes this season.”
Part of the pre-treating process will see four trucks, a brine-making and brine delivery system apply brine prior to snowfall, Murfreesboro officials said. The brine is more effective than rock salt because the brine begins working immediately, according to Murfreesboro officials.
Snow removal operates on a series of routes in Murfreesboro, with six total routes assigned to six trucks. State routes and major city streets receive priority for clearing, along with critical areas, including St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital on Medical Center Parkway, any steep grades, and other problem areas that require attention.
According to city officials, the Murfreesboro Street Department has a total stockpile of 1,500 tons of salt, with snow plows and trucks ready for the season. The department also has 60 employees ready to deploy for snow and ice removal, according to Murfreesboro officials.
Meanwhile, state crews with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) are in charge of maintaining state routes across all 95 counties.
Last year, TDOT Commissioner Butch Eley said the 2023-2024 winter weather budget stood at more than $26 million and included salt, salt brine, overtime for employees and equipment maintenance. Last January, TDOT had 244,000 tons of salt and more than 1.6 million gallons of salt brine ready for use ahead of wintry weather.
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