Road Crews Across North Texas Ready For A White Christmas
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The Texas Department of Transportation isn't letting the holidays get them blue. They are already out treating roads as potentially snowy weather moves in.
TxDOT says crews already pre-treated the High 5 in Dallas and on other elevated roadways starting at midnight Sunday all the way to 7 o'clock Monday morning.
They did that on the right lanes to prevent them from getting slippery, as bridges and overpasses often freeze first because they're elevated.
"We can make a big impact with that because as soon as the frozen precipitation hits it, it starts to melt immediately," says Michelle Releford with TxDOT.
TxDOT says it will have road-runners out all night long. They're the ones who monitor conditions and look for trouble spots to see if roads get icy.
The North Texas Tollway Authority says maintenance crews will start patrolling the roadways beginning at 10 Tuesday morning.
The NTTA uses sensors to measure pavement temperatures and surface conditions on roads, bridges and elevated ramps. They say if temperatures and conditions warrant, they will then dispatch additional crews onto their toll roads.
TxDOT says it has 10 trucks in Dallas and three in Denton County already fitted with the plow blades on the front ready to go just in case the snow does get heavy.
Sand has already been loaded onto trucks as well, and then covered with a tarp.
Crews from multiple cities are on stand-by and ready to come in Christmas day if necessary.
In Dallas, the city has 30 sanding trucks on the ready,.
Because of the holiday, many crews prepared the trucks and other equipment last Friday.
Drivers will need to stay alert.
"If all we get here are snow flurries, and it doesn't stick, that's going to reduce visibility so that will impact driving, so be aware… It may be raining, it maybe snowing, you're still going to have to slow down and be very aware," warns Releford.
If conditions do get slippery many people who love the idea of a white Christmas may have to be in it out on the roads. Police and fire departments across North Texas are preparing for the likelihood of increased accidents Tuesday and Wednesday Morning.
