Road crews gearing up for freezing temperatures, icy roads

With temperatures dropping below freezing for the first time this fall, crews are gearing up to keep area roads ice free.

The Washington State Department of Transportation has shifted to winter mode, with overnight road crews assessing conditions throughout the evening and early morning hours, says WSDOT spokesperson Kris Olsen.

“Starting November 1, we always have night shift crews on so they can go out in those overnight hours and prep the roads when there’s fewer cars,” says Olsen.

If there’s a possibility of icing, the crews apply a chemical deicer that lowers the freezing point of the concrete and reduces problems.

Along with all of the main corridors around the state, WSDOT also maintains the on and off ramps, keeping them free of ice.

The Seattle Department of Transportation is ready for winter as well. With below-freezing temperatures forecast throughout the week, extra crews are on standby to attack the roads if conditions warrant, says SDOT spokesman Rick Sheridan.

“They’ll especially be monitoring and patrolling known trouble spots to make sure they’re not freezing over,” says Sheridan.

The biggest priority is keeping major roadways and elevated structures ice free, such as the West Seattle Bridge and the Alaskan Way Viaduct, says Sheridan.

SDOT has been preparing for weeks for the first freeze, with crews practicing, stocking up on supplies and testing equipment to be prepared for cold weather as soon as it hits.

“Our crews have been reviewing their training, talking to their counterparts in organizations like SPD, the hospital system, just to make sure that we’re closely coordinated and can handle a storm even if it happens on the early side,” Sheridan says.

WSDOT, SDOT and all of the other local agencies work together to coordinate their responses to winter conditions. But Olsen says drivers play an important part as well.

“It’s really important when you take off in the morning to take a look around and assess the conditions and drive appropriately for it,” she says. “Increase your following distance, don’t stomp on those brakes, and remember that those ramps and bridges and curves are going to ice up first.”