KY Highway Crews Pre-Treating for Anticipated Winter Precipitation Monday & Tuesday

-Keith Todd, Public Information Officer, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet

Highway crews across the 11 counties of Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 2 plan to pre-treat area roadways in anticipation of a winter weather event with possible snow accumulation.  The long-range forecast indicates a significant chance of snow on Monday and Tuesday, with more possible later in the week.

Highway crews in District 2 plan to start pre-treating activities on Friday morning, February 13, 2015.  Crews will initially focus their efforts on “B” and “C” Snow Priority Routes, which are mainly rural secondary and connector highways.  On Saturday, they plan to move to pre-treating “A” Snow Priority Routes, which include Interstates, parkways, and U.S. Highways.

Motorists should be alert for slow moving trucks and support vehicles going about pre-treating activities.

Pre-treating involves spraying brine on road surfaces.  The salt solution dries to leave a fine powder that sticks to the driving surface for several days and is available to be activated by falling precipitation in the early hours of a winter weather event.  The salt powder also helps keep snow and ice from bonding to the pavement making it easier to plow off after it accumulates.

Generally, pre-treating requires temperatures to be above about 20 degrees Fahrenheit.  Crews generally do not pre-treat when substantial rain is expected to move in ahead of snow because the rain will wash the salt from the roadway.  It takes approximately two full days for all 3,300 miles of highway in the district to be pre-treated.

Motorists are advised to closely monitor area news media outlets and the National Weather Service for forecast updates as the next round of snow and ice approaches.  The KYTC District 2 Snow and Ice Team will be monitoring the approaching weather system and directing personnel to prepare appropriately as the forecast is updated.  The NWS forecast is available at www.weather.gov/pah .

With overnight lows expected to be down into the teens and single digits for several days, motorists are reminded to be fully prepared for the extreme cold anytime they venture out.  During extreme cold something as simple as a flat tire or running out of gas that might normally be an inconvenience can quickly turn into a life-threatening situation.

For a list of Snow & Ice Priority Routes go to http://transportation.ky.gov/Maintenance/Pages/Snow-and-Ice-Priority-Maps.aspx.

Timely traffic advisories for the 11 counties of KYTC Highway District 2 are available by going to www.facebook.com/kytcdistrict2.  You do not have to be a Facebook member to access this page.