TxDOT treats freeways in southeast Texas earlier than the ice storm

BEAUMONT, Texas – Just a little bit of ice on the freeway can be extremely dangerous. That is why crews from the Texan Ministry of Transport are already preparing.

Crews are ready to taxi to treat the streets in the area as the temperature continues to drop.

TxDOT spokeswoman Sarah Dupre says TxDOT trucks are loaded and ready to go.

You will be using a mixture of very fine aggregate and saline solution. The combination treats the roads and reduces the chances of them “freezing”.

The state’s focus is on I-10 and Highway 69.

According to Dupre, TxDOT is working closely with local law enforcement agencies and the Texas Department of Public Safety to monitor road conditions over the weekend and the next week.

She says these crews will handle roads around the clock if necessary.

“We have to be prepared for sleet, snow or any kind of ice, so we try to stay prepared all the time. I know our crews are ready for anything that gets in our way this weekend,” said Dupre.

And TxDOT will keep an eye on high-traffic bridges like the Rainbow Bridge and the Veterans Memorial Bridge.

Bridges like this tend to ice up faster than main roads.

“The hope is we don’t have to close them. We plan to treat both of them. We want to make sure we keep an eye on them. We’ll try to keep them as open as possible as long as we can. Hopefully we don’t have to close, “said Dupre.

While TxDOT currently has no plans to block roads, they will work with local law enforcement officials to take action if road conditions deteriorate quickly.

“If they see a problem, give us a call. We can go out there and treat it. If we see a problem with a road that we can’t keep ice off we will contact them and possibly close it down,” Dupre said.

Also on 12Newsnow.com …