NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — TDOT crews are busy preparing for the first potential winter weather event of the year.
Erin Zeigler, the Region 3 Regional Communications Officer, emphasized that the main priority is safety. Major preparations began Friday morning and are currently underway on our roads, targeting areas north of Interstate 40 and the downtown loop. Crews are focusing on bridges, overpasses and high-elevation areas, which tend to freeze first.
In Middle Tennessee alone, there are more than 400,000 gallons of brine and 60,000 tons of salt available, along with 281 salt trucks and 238 brine trucks. This year’s budget for the region is $6.5 million. That’s why officials say they are prepared for whatever winter weather may come our way.
“The priority is always going to be interstates and heavily traveled state routes, followed by state routes and secondary roads that we clear. We’ll be out there making things safe for Tennesseans,” said Zeigler.
Her best advice this weekend is to stay off the roads and, especially if you’re heading out, to keep clear of these crews so they can safely get the job done.
Leaders say they will reconvene on Sunday to determine if additional safety measures are necessary.
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This story by Aaron Cantrell reminds me of my first school in Dyersburg, TN. I was a student at Bruce School from Kindergarten to second grade until the school system was integrated. My parents graduated from this K-12 school in 1960 in one of the city's African American communities. After sitting empty for several years, part of the school was demolished while the rest was renovated and now serves as a community center for the Bruce community in Dyersburg. A local pastor is now trying to do something similar in the Cemetery community in Rutherford Co.
-Lelan Statom
