Tennessee Department of Transportation Prepares for Winter Weather
Region Two crews ready for ice and snow

Chattanooga, Tennessee – The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is gearing up to fight winter weather this season in the Chattanooga area using both traditional methods, such as spreading salt on the roadway surfaces, and newer methods, such as using roadway sensors to tell crews when to place salt brine to prevent roadway surfaces from freezing.

Tennessee was one of the first states to use an ice and snow control solution called salt brine. Salt brine is a salt and water mix that is sprayed onto the roadway surfaces before snow and ice begin to fall. The liquid salt brine solution helps prevent snow and ice from bonding to the road surface. The solution cost about .05 cents a gallon and uses less salt, thus saving tax dollars. TDOT Region Two crews have the capacity to distribute 200,000 gallons of salt brine using 60 truck-mounted salt brine dispensers.

TDOT will be able to monitor roadway conditions using 37 Roadway Weather Information System (RWIS) stations around the state. The RWIS stations monitor a variety of weather related factors including air temperatures, dew-point information, wind speed/direction, precipitation type and rate and asphalt temperatures. This system will alert TDOT maintenance supervisors when freezing conditions are eminent.

Our maintenance crews are ready to go,” stated Region Two Director Bob Brown. “Our forces are on standby to combat winter weather conditions, and we will work as long as it takes to keep the roadways safe in the Region Two area.” Region Two consists of 24 counties in parts of East and Middle Tennessee.

Statewide numbers:

• Salt Trucks: 801
• Salt (tons): 208,586
• Salt Brine (gallons): 1,163,250
• Salt Bins: 116
• 2004-2005 available budget for winter-weather needs: $9,427,027
• 2003-2004 winter-weather cost summary: $8,165,123
• RWIS weather stations: 37

Click here to see a more detailed winter weather fact sheet.