NDOT officials prepare roadways for incoming wintry weather

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — With a winter storm warning in effect for Music City starting Tuesday evening, officials with the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT) are already doing what they can to keep roads passable.

Winter weather has made its way to parts of Middle Tennessee. With several inches of snow expected in parts of Davidson County, NDOT officials said they’ve prepared key roadways.

“I think the pre-planning, where we have an opportunity to get out and get the brine down before an event like this comes in without the threat of rain [is] kind of the main thing,” NDOT’s assistant director of operations, Phillip Jones, told News 2. “We’ve got some new equipment; we’ve got new routes. We’ve added an additional 800 lane miles. We’ve had a lot of positive response; we’ve been able to do more.”

Eight thousand tons of salt, 100,000 gallons of brine, 40,000 gallons of calcium chloride, and 40 snow removal trucks are at the ready. Crews spent Monday pre-treating 2,400 miles of roadway. According to NDOT officials, low temperatures Thursday and Friday after the snow is predicted to stop falling could have a big impact on removal efforts.

“This is a different event than the last event,” Jones added. “It looks like this is coming in as a dry or powdery snow versus a wet snow, so it just depends on the amount of accumulation. If we can keep up with it and keep it off, we’ll be fine. The things that don’t get treated; it’s going to be there for a few days.”

NDOT invested in a snow removal truck driving simulator, which is a tool used to train drivers on a wide range of conditions. That way, when the real thing happens, they’re more efficient.

“I’m seeing more confidence in the drivers,” Jones said. “They feel more prepared. We feel like they’re more prepared. I think it’s a win-win.”

NDOT crews will work in 12-hour shifts until the weather event ends.