FOREST PARK, Ga. — A spokesperson for Georgia’s Department of Transportation says it was so successful in clearing roads during the recent ice storm because so many people stayed off the roads.
With another storm bearing down on the state, the agency is asking drivers to do the same thing during this weather event.
Natalie Dale says GDOT has about 2 million gallons of brine statewide to treat roads before the storm, and about 800 pieces of equipment to plow roads once the storm hits. It says its best weapon, though, is drivers not getting behind the wheel.
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That’s exactly what Tosin Olewo says he plans to do this weekend.
“Well, I’m staying home anyway. I have everything I need,” he told Channel 2’s Tom Jones.
Hearing drivers plan to stay off the road is music to GDOT’s ears.
“We saw last week how successful we can be if people are off the road,” Dale said.
Dale says this storm will be very different than the ice storm we just went through.
“But we’re expecting snow. And so, in many ways, that’s better than ice,” she said.
She says this snow will be easier to plow and remove from roads. But Dale says the storm is expected to hit more areas, making it more labor-intensive.
Because there are so many more lane miles to plow and brine, crews won’t plow or treat all lanes of major interstates.
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“We’re focusing right now on the two outside lanes on the interstate and the ramps,” Dale said.
Dale showed Jones GDOT’s brine-making facility in Forest Park.
“So what we do is we bring down the rock salt, and we mix it in this, its called the brine boss,” she says.
Then it’s loaded onto tanks on trucks, where the drivers are treating roads before the storm. GDOT plans to treat some 25,000 miles of road in advance of the storm.
“We’re ready to go. We’re ready to do this again. That’s our job. Your job is to stay home,” Dale said.
Dale says GDOT saw an 80% reduction in traffic during the recent storm because people stayed off the road. She says that allowed crews to concentrate on plowing roads and not having to worry about cars getting in the way.
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