Officials urge residents to stay off roads as snow and ice remain

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Officials are urging drivers to stay off of roadways after several inches of snow fell across the Cape Fear. 

Division Maintenance Engineer Battle Whitley shared what the NCDOT is doing to clear roads at news conference on Wednesday.  

Whitely said the NCDOT has deployed 45 snow plows and 14 graders locally, with crews working around the clock. More than 1,400 tons of salt in the form of brine have also been spread in our area. 

“When we treat it with the brine, we get a better coverage and retention of salt prior to the event,” Whiteley said. 

Whitely and the NCDOT are urging residents to stay off the roads until conditions improve.  

Lieutenant Greg Willett with the Wilmington Police Department echoed that message—noting that calls for wrecks can take resources away from other places police are needed.

“We get rapidly overloaded if we’ve got a lot of people on the street running into things or running off the road,” Willett explained. 

Willett added even if you have felt comfortable driving in snow elsewhere, that doesn’t mean you should here.  

“Look, this really doesn’t have a lot to do with somebody’s driving ability in the snow, as impressive as it may be, it has more to do with the ability of the infrastructure to handle it,” Willett said. 

Whitely noted clearing major roadways is the NCDOT’s first priority—and he hopes drivers will make the most of this rare Cape Fear occasion by staying put. 

“Take some time and enjoy this unique event, let us do our job and try to get the roads open and cleared as quickly as possible,” he said. 

Whitely added even if a road looks clear, it could be covered in black ice.