Drivers brave winter weather storm as it hits Cape Fear
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — State Department of Transportation workers have been busy the past few days, pre-treating roads like Highway 17 in Brunswick County with brine, a liquid mixture of salt and water.
It prevents snow or ice from bonding to road surfaces.
According to the Storm Track 3 Weather team, light ice accumulations are likely in inland areas, like Bladen and Columbus Counties.
This could create slippery conditions overnight and those hitting the roads early Saturday morning.
In those two counties alone, the DOT has placed more than 41,000 gallons of brine on roads.
But DOT spokesperson Andrew Barksdale said their work isn’t done and they’ll be monitoring conditions overnight.
“As soon as we start getting reports of wintry precipitation, and maybe it’s just northern Bladen County, we’re going to put all of our resources up there and we will respond,” Barksdale said.
For many drivers like Tony Weaver, conditions Friday evening weren’t bad along the coast.
His drive from North Myrtle Beach through Brunswick County was pretty uneventful.
“When I left work said hey, you know, be careful driving back,” Weaver said. “It wasn’t bad. I mean, its been steady rain for the most part but the roads seem to be fine right now.”
But there may be bigger concerns for drivers traveling further north like Jonathan Judy and his daughter Arnan.
They’re heading home to Chesapeake, Virginia, and will be keeping their eyes peeled on the road.
“When you’re driving, look for the mist under the tires. If you’ve got mist coming up, that means there’s water on the road that’s being flung up. Once that mist goes away, you’re just on ice and that’s when it gets really dangerous and the ice is worse than the snow.”
What would normally be a 5-hour drive, Jonathan said, will likely take a bit longer, especially if conditions worsen as they get closet to Virginia.
Barksdale added that once the weather clears, crews will begin to work on de-icing the roads to ensure they are safe for travel.
