TDOT Crews Ready to “Beet” Ice and Snow This Winter
Friday, December 18, 2009 | 04:03am
New Tools to Help Keep Tennessee Roads Free of Ice and Snow This Season
NASHVILLE – Winter weather is here and the Tennessee Department of Transportation is ready to "beet" ice and snow this winter season using some new ice and snow removal tools, including beet juice. This winter TDOT will use beet juice mixed with salt and salt brine at various locations across the state to improve the ability to remove snow and ice from state roads and interstates. Beet juice is a by-product of the beet after the sugar has been extracted. The department is also evaluating the effectiveness of larger snow plows and some new tools for applying salt and de-icing agents.
“Although we don’t typically see severe winters in the southeast, even small amounts of snow or ice can cripple our transportation system and create dangerous conditions for motorists,” said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely. “This year, TDOT is testing a number of new weapons that all have the potential to help clear roads of ice and snow faster while also saving valuable time, manpower, and money.”
“The beet juice compound will help the salt stick to the roadway for a longer period of time which will make the salt and salt brine more effective and will help reduce the amount of salt used by TDOT,” said TDOT Chief Engineer Paul Degges. “The beet juice should also help reduce the amount of salt that bounces off the roadway when applied by the trucks.”
In west Tennessee, TDOT will test a new 25-foot-wide tow plow that can clear and salt two interstate travel lanes at once. The new truck will have a 14-foot snow plow on the front and will pull the 25-foot-wide tow plow behind it. TDOT will use several 14-foot-wide front snow plows this year. The 14-foot plows are more than four feet larger than existing plows and have the ability to clear an entire travel lane in one pass. In the past, trucks had to make two trips in order to clear one travel lane. In addition, six new concept trucks will be fitted with both a 14-foot front plow and an underbody plow. The underbody plow is installed under the middle of the truck and can apply downward force that helps remove hard packed ice. Three of the new concept trucks will also have an eight-foot-wide wing plow mounted to the side of the truck which allows drivers to clear one and a half interstate lanes in just one pass. In addition, TDOT is testing a new speed control computer that adjusts the amount of salt applied to the roadway based on the speed of the truck and the predicted wintery precipitation. The new computer controller should help reduce the amount of salt used by TDOT.
“Cost savings are the biggest benefit of the new equipment,” said TDOT Maintenance Director Greg Duncan. “As budgets get tighter we are constantly looking for ways to stretch our dollar. Other transportation agencies have reported dramatic reductions in salt use with these new tools and we are hoping to see similar salt use reductions here in Tennessee.”
TDOT currently has more than 160,000 tons of salt and more than 1.1 million gallons of salt brine ready for use. The department has budgeted more than $12 million this year for snow and ice removal operations across the state.
When snow hits Tennessee, TDOT ice and snow removal teams will first focus on clearing interstates and heavily traveled state routes and will specifically target areas vulnerable to freezing, like hills, curves, ramps, bridges and interchanges.
TDOT maintenance personnel stay in close contact with the National Weather Service leading up to a possible winter storm. Once snow begins to fall they monitor roadway conditions through a number of mechanisms including the Roadway Information System (RWIS). The department has 37 RWIS stations statewide that monitor a variety of weather related factors such as air temperatures; dew-point; wind speed/direction; precipitation types and rates; and asphalt temperatures. The Tennessee Highway Patrol also alerts TDOT to any problem areas on roadways across the state as do TDOT Help Units in the urban areas.
All Tennesseans can monitor roadway conditions before leaving home by visiting the TDOT SmartWay website at www.tn.gov/tdot/tdotsmartway or by dialing 511 from any land line or cellular phone. TDOT is also on twitter @TN511 (www.twitter.com/TN511).
TDOT and the THP remind motorists to dial * THP from any cellular phone should they become stranded or need assistance when on the road.
Here is a look at some of TDOT’s winter maintenance statistics from a statewide perspective.
- Salt Trucks: 831
- Salt (tons): 167,789
- Salt Brine (gallons): 1,166,618
- Salt Bins: 120
- 2009-2010 available budget for winter weather needs: $12,002,115
- 2008-2009 statewide winter-weather cost summary: $10,226,229
- R.W.I.S. weather stations: 37
Winter maintenance capacities by region are as follows (approximated):
Brine (gallons) Salt (tons) Snow Plows
Region One: 177,604 53,231 208
Region Two: 223,225 45,348 202
Region Three: 603,050 45,130 243
Region Four: 162,739 24,080 169
*All quantities are subject to change
For photographic purposes, RWIS weather stations may be found at the following locations:
Region One: I-640 at Pleasant Ridge Road near Western Avenue Exit
Region Two: I-24 east near Old Ringgold Road overpass on Missionary Ridge near mile marker 181.
Region Three: Briley Parkway & the Cumberland River Bridge near Ford Glass Company.
Region Four: I-55 at I-40 in Shelby County.
For more information about TDOT winter weather preparations visit the TDOT web site at www.tennessee.gov/tdot and click on the Ice and Snow: Take it Slow logo.
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For More Information Contact:
Julie Oaks
TDOT Public Information Officer
Julie.A.Oaks@tn.gov
615-741-6283 - Office
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