The North Carolina Department of Transportation has been preparing for a winter storm since the fall, with significant staffing and operational plans in place to ensure road safety this weekend.
NCDOT officials predict that road conditions are likely to be poor due to anticipated snow and ice.
Billy Carpenter, the Iredell County maintenance engineer for NCDOT, expressed concerns about the storm’s expected impact, stating that the combination of snow and ice will make it difficult to maintain roadway safety.
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Carpenter oversees a crew responsible for maintaining 3,100 lane miles of roadways and 250 interstate lane miles.
With approximately 65 employees, both from NCDOT and contractors, the team is prepared to respond to the winter weather this weekend.
“We will have roughly between DOT employees and contract employees around 65 employees here, working this weekend,” Carpenter stated, highlighting the effort involved in maintaining area roadways during adverse conditions.
Once road conditions deteriorate, maintenance crews will be split into morning and night shifts to ensure continuous operations.
Carpenter explained, “we’ll begin to then run work into our twelve-hour shifts.”
Preparations will ramp up quickly, with crews scheduled to start brining interstates and primary routes tomorrow morning.
Carpenter noted, “we’ll start tomorrow morning brining our interstates and primary routes tomorrow,” as the department gears up for the incoming storm.
Work is set to commence on brining operations tomorrow morning. NCDOT crews are positioned to ensure swift responses as road conditions change throughout the winter storm.
VIDEO: NCDOT prepares for winter weather with salt stockpiles and snow removal equipment
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