Loading...
You are here:  Home  >  News  >  Government  >  Current Article

GDOT Continues to Treat Ice on Roadways and Bridges

By   /   January 30, 2014  /   Comments

Special to the Journal

TIFTON, Ga. – Georgia Department of Transportation crews were out Thursday morning treating patches of ice on roadways and bridges and will continue to monitor conditions.

A patch of ice was reported on Interstate 75 northbound just south of Exit 13/Old Clyattville Road in Lowndes County. There is still icing on the roadway system due to lower temperatures. The Department encourages motorists traveling on the interstate to use extreme caution and stay in the far right lane.

Ice forming on bridges became the biggest issue when a winter storm moved into the area Tuesday, but GDOT maintenance crews had expected bridges would be problematic and were prepared.

Dump trucks were loaded with a salt/rock mixture and fitted with snow plows Monday in anticipation of the approaching storm. Trucks were deployed as reports were received of ice on roadways and bridges. GDOT did not have to close any roads or bridges in District 4, which encompasses the counties of Atkinson, Baker, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Calhoun, Clay, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Crisp, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Echols, Grady, Irwin, Lanier, Lee, Lowndes, Miller, Mitchell, Quitman, Randolph, Seminole, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Turner, Wilcox and Worth.

From Tuesday through Thursday morning, District 4 maintenance crews had responded to approximately 130 locations to address ice issues. An estimated 400 tons of the salt/rock mixture had been used throughout the district.

“Thanks to the hard work of our dedicated employees we were able to keep our roads open and safe for the traveling public,” Tifton District Maintenance Engineer Stacy Aultman said.

Maintenance crews worked in shifts throughout Tuesday and Wednesday nights to respond to reports of ice. Other DOT employees assisted by working in the Emergency Operations Center, which was activated Tuesday and remained in operation throughout the winter storm.

“Our employees did a good job and took care of business,” District Engineer Joe Sheffield said.

District 4 also deployed 38 employees and eight slow plow/spreader trucks to the metro Atlanta area Wednesday to assist with efforts to clear roadways. The employees and equipment will remain there as long as needed.

Georgia DOT urges travelers to exercise caution and call 511 for updated information on roadway conditions before getting on the road during a winter weather event. Georgia 511 is a free phone service that provides real-time traffic and travel information statewide, including winter weather closures, reports of icing or other hazardous conditions on interstates and state routes.

    Print       Email
  • Published: 587 days ago on January 30, 2014
  • By:
  • Last Modified: January 30, 2014 @ 10:39 am
  • Filed Under: Government
  • Tagged With: GDOT
 

About the author

Owner / Editor / Writer

Tom Knighton is the publisher of The Albany Journal. In November, 2011, he became the first blogger to take over a newspaper anywhere in the world. In August of 2012, he made the difficult decision to take the Journal out of print circulation and become an online news agency, a first for the Albany area.

You might also like...

GOHS

Score a sober driver for this year’s Super Bowl

Read More →
SEO Powered by Platinum SEO from Techblissonline