CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — We spoke with Rickey Dailey of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) about what measures are being taken to keep roads as safe as possible during the upcoming winter storm.
Since Tuesday, TxDOT trucks have been spreading brine across the highways and other major roads. Brine, a simple mix of salt and water, is a major defense against icy roads.
Mixing salt into water makes it freeze at a lower temperature, so it'll have to get much colder for ice to form.
I-37, I-69, Highway 77 and Highway 281 and 181 -- including the Harbor Bridge - have all been treated with the mixture.
Additionally, the Crosstown Expressway, South Padre Island Drive, the Yorktown Bridge, and the Ocean drive bridge to the NAS are receiving brine.
Dailey says to be especially cautious on Farm to Market roads, as these aren't as well travelled and might not have been brined.
Furthermore, if you have to drive, make sure to go slow. It takes twice as long to stop on a wet road, and even longer on a frozen one.
As Dailey says, "Use cruise control to lose control."
But above all, the best practice is to not drive if you can help it. Any ice is bad ice, and can pose a serious threat to those on the road. So unless you have to go out, just stay home.
For the latest updates on coronavirus in the Coastal Bend, click here.
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