Blustery weather is coming. The Iowa DOT is ready; are you?

AMES, Iowa – Oct. 22, 2009 – Swirling leaves and ominous gray skies mean the winter season is upon us. Iowa weather conditions can change rapidly making planning ahead for winter driving a necessity. The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) is ready for the coming winter weather and advises motorists to also prepare.

How the Iowa DOT prepares for winter
Dennis Burkheimer, the Iowa DOT's winter operations administrator, says the Iowa DOT's maintenance facilities are prepared for the challenges of winter weather in Iowa. The Iowa DOT's 110 maintenance garages employ approximately 1,200 equipment operators, mechanics and supervisors to keep the agency's 900 trucks, 53 motor graders and 11 heavy-duty, self-propelled snowblowers on the road during a winter weather event.

The Iowa DOT has stockpiled approximately 210,000 tons of salt and nearly 2.5 million gallons of salt brine to help maintain safe travel on nearly 9,400 miles of primary highway. The Iowa DOT uses salt brine, a mixture of rock salt and water, to help with snow and ice removal operations. The salt brine can be used to pretreat roadways before a storm to help reduce the bond between precipitation and the pavement. Brine is also used to prewet salt before it leaves the truck, giving the salt a jump start on its ability to melt snow and ice and helping to keep the material on the roadway.

You may also see Iowa DOT trucks spraying bridge decks with brine on a day when no snow or ice is in the forecast. This is done to prevent the formation of frost on bridge decks, which typically occurs on cold, clear nights. Frost can be dangerous to travelers who have been driving on dry roads and then come upon a frost-covered bridge deck. The Iowa DOT receives customized weather forecasts that include a forecast for bridge frost. These forecasts allow the Iowa DOT to treat bridge decks to help prevent the formation of frost.

What you can do to prepare
Winterize your vehicle now, before winter weather threatens. To minimize the possibility of a breakdown, get your vehicle tuned up. Check, or have a mechanic check, your vehicle’s wipers, hoses, battery, alternator, belts, tires, brakes, exhaust system, lights, and fluid levels. Make sure your heater and defroster are in good working order. A breakdown is bad on a good day, but can be dangerous on a bad weather day.

Drivers should use basic safe driving habits any time of year – buckling up, avoiding distractions, driving alert and sober, and operating your vehicle at a safe and legal speed. Special precautions need to be followed when winter weather causes ice or snow on Iowa roadways, including reducing your speed for conditions. Do not turn your vehicle into an “off-road” vehicle by driving too fast for conditions. Remember the simple slogan, “Ice and Snow …Take It Slow.”

For more information about winter preparedness and the Iowa DOT's snow and ice control program, contact Dennis Burkheimer at 515-239-1355 or 515-290-2713 or check the DOT's Web site at http://www.iowadot.gov/maintenance/internetpages/maintindex.htm.

 

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