Georgia Department of Transportation:

TIFTON – Southwest district Georgia Department of Transportation crews will begin pre-treating bridges and overpasses at 9 p.m. today in advance of winter storm Inga.

Pre-treating will begin in the District’s northwest corner, in the Randolph County area.

“We expect to experience the leading edge of the wintry mix/snow in our far northwestern counties around midnight as the system moves southeasterly through our District. We will be bringing our forces in to start pre-treating bridges and overpasses ahead of it on a staggered schedule,” District Maintenance Engineer Scott Chambers said.

Crews will be spreading a rock/salt mixture. The rock breaks up ice as cars travel over it. The ice mixed with the salt creates brine, which lowers the freezing point and reduces the chance the surface will ice.

The District is also sending 10 snow plows and 25 employees to assist Atlanta. They will begin working a 12-hour shift at 9 p.m. today.

That will still leave plenty of personnel and equipment in our Southwest District to handle whatever Inga may bring. The District salt barn is stocked with about 600 tons of the rock/salt mixture. Local crews will use spreaders, smaller snow plows and, if necessary, motor graders. The rock/salt mixture can be spread by hand from the back of a dump truck. Some local crews did just that during the last winter storm.