With possibility of icy roads, DOT is pretreating major roads with brine

Responding to the potential for the season’s first significant winter weather event, Georgia DOT crews are pretreating all major interstates across middle, east and north Georgia, spreading brine mixture. Brine is a mixture of salt and water is used as a preventative treatment and is intended to limit the bonding of the ice to the pavement.

Brine operations started Friday at 7 a.m. on Interstate 85 and 185 from the Alabama/Georgia state line and Interstate 75 from Henry to Bibb County. These tankers will also treat various other major secondary state routes throughout our 31-county Third District area. Bridges and overpasses are included in the treatment plan.

District personnel, local equipment operators, highway maintenance workers, mechanics and supervisors will begin working 12-hour shifts at 7 a.m. Friday and continue in the area until the State Maintenance Office and Georgia Emergency Management Agency determine any threat of winter weather has passed. Citizens should expect to see vehicles deploying brine and also traditional salt and gravel measures throughout Winter Storm Helena.

The DOT will have crews strategically placed in locations where they can quickly spread the materials on all the major interstates and state routes. But they ask for the public’s cooperation in this effort.

“We stand ready to assist our partners and the traveling public to keep our roads safe and open,” District Engineer Michael Presley said.

Statewide, Georgia DOT will have approximately 1,900 employees on call with 54,030 tons of salt, 65,460 tons of gravel, 450,000 gallons of brine and more than 380 pieces of snow removal equipment.

Overall, motorists are cautioned to be aware of black ice that may occur whenever there is moisture on the roadway in freezing temperatures. This is especially important after the storm leaves and temperatures drop Saturday evening.

Drivers should also watch for Georgia DOT crews working to clear snow and ice from interstates and state routes. These employees are working in a work zone and need to be safe.

Do not pass a Georgia DOT dump truck spreading the salt/gravel mixture, as gravel may kick up and could break car windshields. Motorists should follow at least 100 feet behind Department vehicles and be extra cautious when driving through inclement weather conditions.

This story was originally published January 6, 2017 at 6:58 AM with the headline "With possibility of icy roads, DOT is pretreating major roads with brine."