DOT, civilians prepare for the snow

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — With the snow and ice expected for Monday and Tuesday, folks all over the Cape Fear area have already started preparing.

“We started at 3:00a.m. Saturday morning. We had a full crew come in and start spraying brine on all the roads and had a crew come in at 3:00 yesterday afternoon and take our place.” Travis Mintz, Transportation Supervisor for the DOT, says for New Hanover County alone, an estimated 40,000 gallons of salt brine, a combination of salt and water, has been used.

But even with so many precautions taken by the DOT….driving in snow and ice can be pretty scary.

Edro Farrior decided to take a few precautions of his own. “Hopefully it won’t be too bad. I put a little air in my tires, checked my oil, make sure the pipes at my house are running throughout the night so they don’t bust or anything, and stacking up on food just in case we can’t get out tomorrow.”

According to safemotorist.com, every time the outside air temperature drops 10 degrees, the air pressure inside tires can go down about one or two PSI, making it essential to check tire pressure regularly.

Mintz says the DOT is fully prepared for the inclement weather….11 trucks will be available to plow snow and spread salt on the roads. But he still warns drivers to be cautious about getting out on the icy roads “If the weather is bad, just stay off the roads and stay out of the way so that we can get the roads cleaned off in a timely manner.”

People at the DOT say all major roads have been sprayed with salt brine and will have a full crew on standby Monday morning.