GDOT crews use brine trucks to treat roads ahead of snow

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — The Georgia Department of Transportation was out in full force Tuesday preparing roads hours before the first snowflake fell.

Channel 2's Aaron Diamant went to the department's brine barn in Clayton County where crews make the salt solution to spread onto the roads.

LIVE Severe Weather Team 2 coverage of the winter weather, on the Channel 2 Action News Nightbeat starting at 10 p.m.

The tens of gallons of solution helps keep snow and ice from sticking to roads.

GDOT spokesperson Natalie Dale said they not taking any chances.

“Getting ahead of the storm is something that’s invaluable to our crews,” Dale said.

Dale said the department’s fleet of 11 tankers will lay down the salt solution on roads from Macon up to the Tennessee line.

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“We have to be very flexible with where we’re sending our teams, where we’re focusing our efforts, whether that’s equipment or manpower…that these storms change even hours before they get here,” Dale said.

Dale said the biggest concern is a sudden drop in temperature.

“You’re going to get the severe drop in temperature before the storm, roads are going to get cold before the precipitation gets here,” Dale said.

But Dale said GDOT is ready to handle whatever comes.

For driver Amiee McCauley, she’s just hoping no ice.

“I live all the way up in Cumming, so to get up 400 and then toward the north, I’m hoping the roads are going to be good, no ice, so I’m really appreciative of them getting out early,” McCauley said.

GDOT said it will continue to treat the roads and trouble spots into the night and plow crews are already on standby.

Dale said the agency is confident it has a pretty good system in place.

“We continue to learn lessons through every storm, because no storm is the same,” Dale said.

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