DFW road crews prepare ahead of winter storm
NORTH TEXAS — With the first forecasted snow of the year just hours away, highway crews across the Dallas-Fort Worth area are working tirelessly to ensure the safety of North Texans on the roads.
Preparation has been underway for days, with road brining already complete and crews ready to transition into 24-hour shifts as the winter weather hits.
From Dallas to Fort Worth, teams responsible for maintaining highways and interstates have been taking proactive measures to combat icy conditions.
In Fort Worth, crews have applied 5,000 gallons of brine since Monday to key areas, including main streets, bridges, hills, and entrances to hospitals and emergency rooms. Brine acts as an anti-freeze to prevent dangerous ice formation. Once the weather arrives, crews will switch to sand to improve traction.
"We have about 30 sand trucks available and 4,000 tons of sand ready to use whenever we need to sand locations," said Teanna Thompson with the Fort Worth Streets Department.
TxDOT's Fort Worth District is similarly prepared, with 350 staff members ready to work around the clock starting Wednesday night.
"We stockpile half a million gallons of brine and have the ability to make more on demand," said Val Lopez with TxDOT.
Crews will monitor temperatures across major highways, interstates, and bridges in Tarrant County, applying chemical de-icers as needed.
In Dallas, six trucks have already applied brine to key areas, with additional resources on standby.
"The city's posture right now is all about preparedness," said Kevin Oden, Dallas Director of Emergency Management. "We're focused on making sure all available resources are ready to shift into response mode later this evening."
As part of their response plan, Dallas has 50 sanding trucks ready to roll out at midnight Wednesday to tackle icy conditions.
Officials across all agencies are urging residents to stay off the roads if possible.
"If you don't have to be out, don't get out," Oden said.
While crews are working diligently to de-ice roadways and minimize risks, they ask drivers to do their part by staying home or allowing plenty of time to travel if driving is unavoidable.