SCDOT crews in Florence prepare roads ahead of wintry weather

FLORENCE, SC (WBTW) – Crews with the South Carolina Department of Transportation pretreated interstates and other main roads in the Pee Dee ahead of the wintry weather.

Crews say they are not taking any chances which why they started early as seven o’clock Friday morning.

With the threat of rain ahead for snow, SCDOT crews are put in a tough position heading into a cold and rainy weekend.

Crews are brining interstates and major roadways with salt-water solution.

John Davis has worked for the South Carolina Department of Transportation for the past eight years.

“You gotta stay in your lane because you got to look out for all of these motorists, they don’t respect us at all,” mentioned Davis.

As of Friday afternoon DOT Crews already placed more than 30,000 gallons of brine on Florence roadways.

Though laying down brine won’t do much good if it’s washed away by rain, salt brine drivers like Davis are confident it’ll have enough time to make an impact.

“You know most of the time we don’t do it in the rain and the ice because it works better if you get it down before the rain starts,” Davis said.

Since seven o’clock Friday morning more than twenty trucks filled with brine were out to treat the roads.

While that still continues SCDOT officials is reminding drivers to watch out for trucks not only as they treat roads but as they are switching lanes on the interstate.

“Interstates are our first priority that is where the most traffic is, people travel them throughout the state so we want to make sure those are open and clean so people can travel back and forth,” explained Assistant Road Maintenance Engineer Al Griggs.

For salt brine drivers like John Davis preparation is key, even though weather events like Hurricane Matthew still provide many challenges.

“Yea we have to be extra careful there, especially the way that the pickup crew that is picking up the stuff hadn’t done yet, because a lot of that stuff you know, you don’t have much room on the secondary roads as here on the interstate, the interstates are clear all the way but secondary roads you really got to watch what you are doing,” Davis mentioned.

After the 2015 October flood and after Hurricane Matthew last October, the department of transportation says it learned a few lessons and are now better prepared for any event.

SCDOT crews will continue to monitor road conditions Friday and throughout the weekend.