Winter is coming and NCDOT is preparing for a cold, wet season; A look at the plan

NORTH CAROLINA (WTVD) — North Carolina transportation officials say they are stocked, equipped and ready for winter weather, with more than 220,000 tons of salt available after back-to-back storms strained supplies last season.

North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is preparing for what officials expect could be a very cold and wet winter.

“We’re fully stocked with salt,” Transportation Secretary Daniel Johnson said. “We’ve got 181,000 tons distributed across the state. We’ve got another 40,000 tons in reserve if we happen to have an intense winter and deplete any of those existing supplies. So we’re more than adequately supplied on salt.”

NCDOT officials said trucks, pumps and other winter-weather equipment are also ready to be deployed if road conditions deteriorate.

Crews are also increasing their use of Incident Management Assistance Patrol, or IMAP, trucks to clear crashes and help stranded motorists along major highways.

Division Maintenance Engineer Doug McNeal said those crews can work alongside emergency responders to quickly move disabled vehicles and reopen travel lanes.

“What they allow us to do is if there is an accident or a truck that can’t move on the interstates, we can then take and move the IMAP truck up to the front with emergency responders to help clear the road and get everything off on the shoulder to restore traffic flow,” McNeal said.

Keeping traffic moving will be a priority during winter storms, but officials say drivers also have an important role to play.

NCDOT is urging drivers to monitor conditions, stay alert and, when dangerous weather is approaching, get off the roads before conditions worsen.

“A lot of people try to delay being home as long as they can, but that often leads to a lot of traffic out on the roadways,” McNeal said. “Once the winter weather does come in, it creates problems and your chances of having a longer commute home are much higher. So we ask that you get home as soon as you can.”

Officials say preparation by both road crews and drivers can help keep traffic moving and reduce crashes and other disruptions when winter weather hits.