“We sit in a very precarious place": Georgia transportation crews prepare for winter storm

Record ID: 1899104

  • Title: “We sit in a very precarious place": Georgia transportation crews prepare for winter storm
  • Date: 8th January 2025
  • Summary: FOREST PARK, GEORGIA, UNITED STATES (JANUARY 8, 2025) (Reuters) GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMPLOYEE LOADING UP SALT GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMPLOYEE DROPPING LARGE AMOUNTS OF SALT INTO THE HOPPER, A MIXING TANK THAT WILL COMBINE THE SALT WITH WATER GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMPLOYEE BACKING AWAY FROM HOPPER SALT INSIDE A SALT BARN (SOUNDBITE) (English) NATALIE DALE, SPOKESPERSON FOR GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, SAYING: “So each of these tanks, each of these silos, holds about 11,000 gallons of brine. Brine is that mixture of water and salt.” WATER RUNNING INTO HOPPER WATER RUNNING INTO HOPPER WATER RUNNING INTO HOPPER AND MIXING WITH SALT (SOUNDBITE) (English) NATALIE DALE, SPOKESPERSON FOR GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, SAYING: “It would be nice to get the amount of snow that they get up North but we sit in a very precarious place here in Metro Atlanta. And a lot of what we get is ice which is very different. It is hard, if not impossible, to plow sheets of ice. It is easier to plow that big, fluffy snow that you do get in the North. So we have to develop a winter weather plan that is specific to southern winters which are very different than northern winters.” BRINE TANK INSIDE THE PRODUCTION WAREHOUSE PIPES FEEDING BRINE TO THE TANKERS PIPE ATTACHMENT TO BRINE TANK (SOUNDBITE) (English) NATALIE DALE, SPOKESPERSON FOR GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, SAYING: “So the brine goes straight from these tanks into those tankers. And then you also have a system of pipes here where from the brine production unit outside — so where we’re churning up that granular salt and water, it feeds into the tanks.” GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMPLOYEE WALKING PASS TRUCK LOADED WITH BRINE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMPLOYEES TALKING OUTSIDE NEAR TRUCKS LOADED WITH BRINE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMPLOYEES REMOVING PIPES AFTER TRUCKS ARE FILLED WITH BRINE SOUNDBITE) (English) NATALIE DALE, SPOKESPERSON FOR GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, SAYING: “And it takes 12 hours to get a complete brine route run and so that’s all major interstates — 75, 85, I20, 285, all lanes. But once we start at midnight will really be on 12 on 12 off shifts until the storm gets here.” VARIOUS OF GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMPLOYEE SECURING PIPES VARIOUS OF TRUCK FILLED WITH BRINE DRIVING AWAY
  • Embargoed: 22nd January 2025 20:47
  • Keywords: GEORGIA ICE SNOW SOUTH SOUTHEAST STORM WEATHER WINTER
  • Location: FOREST PARK, GEORGIA, UNITED STATES
  • City: FOREST PARK, GEORGIA, UNITED STATES
  • Country: US
  • Topics: Environment,North America,Weather
  • Reuters ID: LVA001183008012025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) Maintenance Activities Unit (MAU) is gearing up for the upcoming winter weather system by ramping up brine production and road treatment efforts.
    GDOT’s MAU manages the state's largest brine operation, producing and storing hundreds of thousands of gallons of brine to treat roads before and during winter storms.
    This operation is crucial for preventing ice buildup on major highways, such as Interstates 75, 85, I-20, and 285, which are prioritized for treatment during storms.
    GDOT spokesperson Natalie Dale says Georgia’s primary challenge during winter weather is ice, not snow.
    “We sit in a very precarious place here in Metro Atlanta. And a lot of what we get is ice," Dale said. “It is hard, if not impossible, to plow sheets of ice. It’s easier to plow the big, fluffy snow you get up north."
    Starting at midnight, GDOT crews and vehicles will begin brining roads as snow and ice are expected to impact the region on Friday.
    (Production: Jayla Whitfield-Anderson)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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