The possibility of severe weather this week has prompted state transportation officials to take precautions, beginning with treating roadways such as bridges and overpasses for freezing conditions and rain to combat unsafe travel conditions.
This comes nearly a year after a winter freeze wreaked havoc in South Texas last February, decimating much of the Rio Grande Valley’s infrastructure and creating unsafe driving and living conditions due to weather hazards and widespread power outages.
Officials with the Texas Department of Transportation’s Pharr district are in communication with the National Weather Service about the inclement weather and have already started pre-treating bridges and overpasses — the first to freeze, according to TxDOT — in case of icing on local roads.
TxDOT officials said in a news release Wednesday that they’re using a brine solution designed to prevent ice from sticking to the pavement.
“Work teams and trucks will then be placed on standby, to respond to ice situations, as the need arises,” state transportation officials said in the release.
Caution is urged for motorists, who are being asked to “do their part by driving carefully and following these guidelines.”
Those guidelines include the following from TxDOT:
- Reduce your speed. A vehicle needs at least three times more space to stop on a slick roadway. Do not apply the brakes suddenly, and avoid using cruise control, so that you can respond better if you encounter slippery roads.
- Slow down when approaching emergency or maintenance vehicles, especially when their flashing lights are on. The law requires you to maintain a distance of at least 200 feet when approaching crews, and do not pass on the right. Visibility can also be reduced during winter weather conditions.
- Be patient. Your trip time — including short commutes to work — could increase when adverse weather conditions exist. Also, keep to the main roads and avoid taking shortcuts through territory that may not have been treated.
- Winterize vehicles before traveling during adverse weather. Check fuel, tire, oil and antifreeze levels. Make sure heater, brakes and windshield wipers are working properly. Check area weather conditions on radio or television before starting a trip.
