Residual Salt Remains on Roads from Earlier Storm; Commuters Urged to Make Smart Afternoon Travel Decisions
The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) is pre-treating roads in advance of a storm that is forecast to affect the region later today. Midday drivers are encouraged to provide pre-treating trucks ample room to effectively pre-treat the highways.
“This storm is forecast to arrive at the worst possible time – the Friday afternoon rush hour when hundreds of thousands of motorists will be on the road,” said MDOT SHA Administrator Gregory Slater. “Pavement temperatures are expected to rise to slightly above freezing in many central Maryland locations, but after sunset, conditions could worsen as the temperatures will drop below freezing.”
MDOT SHA encourages motorists to keep a sharp eye on the weather conditions and plan accordingly for the afternoon commute. Crews will be treating roads alongside hundreds of thousands of motorists during the afternoon commute, which makes treating roads during the storm challenging.
MDOT SHA emergency operators and maintenance staff will closely monitor roads and patrol for any icy patches as temperatures drop. Using cutting-edge technology, such as infrared pavement sensors, crews can target areas needing retreatment and management can determine appropriate deployment of people and resources.
Travelers may obtain the latest free travel information and access to a vast array of live traffic cameras by logging onto www.MD511.org. Customers may also follow SHA on Twitter @MDSHA and “like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MarylandStateHighwayAdministration.
