COLLINSVILLE, Ill. – Friday’s snowy forecast comes with the possibility of slower commutes, road closures, and accidents. The Illinois Department of Transportation took advantage of the quieter weather on Thursday to prepare.
“We’re actually patching with half the crews right now. We’re trying to seal up the pavement and the other half are going through the trucks, hooking everything up,” Joe Monroe, IDOT, said. “We have rock salt. We have pre-wet equipment. That’s what the women and men are doing now; making sure that’s all ready to rock and roll.”
Monroe said the timing of the system is favorable and they’ll be able to utilize their entire staff. There’s already treatment in frost-prone areas; it’s just a matter of getting their employees in the right position so they can succeed.
Check FOX 2’s traffic map for real-time updates.
“A lot of our side of the river works towards the Missouri side. So, we realize that we want to be definitely in front,” Monroe said. “We can’t afford to get stuck in that traffic so we have to be a little more aggressive with our calls and, obviously, we’re going to do that.”
His crews will hit the roads around 6 a.m.
A quick reminder for those who may have to deal with sleet for the first time this winter.
“Normally, it has a little bit of a texture, but it just reacts differently between the tire and the road. So, if you would encounter sleet, realize it’s not snow and it’s not freezing rain. It does have a little tendency to act like gravel, so it does make the car react differently,” Monroe said.
