TIFTON – Trucks and 64 employees from the Georgia Department of Transportation’s southwest district rolled out of Tifton earlier today and headed north to help keep the roads clear in the event of snow and ice.
While much of southwest Georgia is still cleaning up damage left behind by storms earlier this week, farther north the attention has turned to potential winter weather. Local equipment operators, highway maintenance workers, mechanics and supervisors will begin working 12-hour shifts at 7 a.m. Friday.
“We stand ready to assist our partners and the traveling public to keep our roads safe and open,” District Maintenance Engineer Stacy Aultman said.
The southwest district covers 31 counties and extends to the Alabama and Florida state lines. Local employees are scheduled to work portions of Interstates 285 and 75 in the metro Atlanta area. They’ll be operating snow plow tandem trucks and brine trucks. They’ll remain in the area until the State Maintenance Office and Georgia Emergency Management Agency determine any threat of winter weather has passed.
“They’re the individuals always out there … so that we make these roadways safer for our citizens,” Georgia DOT Planning Director Jay Roberts said. He noted that employees often work in blizzard conditions all hours of the night. “They step up and go above and beyond the call of duty.”
Responding to the potential for the season’s first significant winter weather event, Georgia DOT crews are pretreating all major interstates across middle and north Georgia, spreading brine mixture to prevent or limit the build-up of ice. Statewide, Georgia DOT stands ready with 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. Over the past several years, the Department has made strategic investments in additional equipment and resources to help keep roadways clear and safe during winter storms and other inclement weather events.
“Our obligation – and our commitment – is to provide a safe and connected transportation system to the best of our ability at all times of the year,” Georgia DOT Commissioner Russell R. McMurry said. “The last few winter seasons gave us the opportunity to improve our winter weather response, even under the most unexpected conditions. As a result, Georgia DOT made a significant investment in technology, additional resources and equipment to bring us to the level of preparedness we are at today.”
“Even while using the best weather information technology, Mother Nature can surprise us,” the Commissioner said. “Georgia DOT employees care and we are dedicated to doing what it takes to ensure the safety of our citizens and visitors. We hope for the best, but are prepared for the worst.”
