The Georgia Department of Transportation has several recommendations for dealing with winter weather.
GDOT officials recommend residents stay prepared by making sure homes are winter-ready, keeping extra supplies, paying attention to weather reports and creating a vehicle emergency supply kit with items like jumper cables, sand, a flashlight, warm clothes, blankets, bottled water and non-perishable snacks.
Other tips for cold weather include:
• Beware of black ice (especially on bridges and overpasses) and watch for fallen trees or power lines.
• Avoid driving unless absolutely necessary or postpone until daylight when road conditions, such as black ice, may be visible.
• Do not pass a GDOT dump truck spreading salt/gravel; gravel may kick up and could break car windows. Follow at least 100 feet behind these vehicles.
• Be aware of GDOT work crews who clear snow and ice from interstates and state routes.
• SLOW DOWN to at least half of the normal speed limit and drive in low gear.
• Treat a non-working traffic signal as a four-way stop.
Georgia Department of Transportation officials are treating roadways ahead of expected winter weather Monday night into Tuesday morning.
According to news released from GDOT, crews have begun treating interstates, state routes bridges and overpasses in the metro Atlanta area and north Georgia starting Monday afternoon “in preparation of potential flash-freezing due to precipitation this afternoon followed by cold air coming in quickly this evening.”
GDOT officials recommend drivers avoid unnecessary travel.
“Please be aware of the brine trucks in your areas given they must travel 40 mph to properly apply the treatment,” the release said. “Pay attention to Georgia DOT trucks spreading materials and stay back a safe distance.”
Per the release, GDOT will monitor conditions and continue treatment in Union, Towns, Lumpkin, White and Dawson counties unit dark and through the night as needed.
In metro Atlanta, crews will treat roads, starting on the west side of the city, until 7 p.m. and then again from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. on Tuesday.
