As the National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts snow potential for Friday, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) assures motorists it is ready to clear roadways of ice and snow. In preparation for the winter season, crews in all the region’s 26 counties have readied snowplows and brine trucks.
In anticipation of Friday’s snow event, crews hit the roadways on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, to begin brining heavily traveled interstates and state routes, as well as areas vulnerable to freezing, such as hills, curves, ramps, bridges, and interchanges. TDOT strongly encourages drivers to prepare to stay off the roads on Friday, January 10, 2025, for their own safety and the safety of our workers, giving crews the room they need to do their jobs.
Additional staff is added to the region’s Traffic Management Center this Friday, meaning extra eyes on the region’s 240+ SmartWay cameras and more assistance manning phones to dispatch HELP operators as needed. TDOT is anticipating running extended HELP routes on I-40 eastbound to the Putnam County line, I-40 westbound to the Tennessee River, as well as I-65 and I-24 to the Kentucky state line.
TDOT’s statewide 2024/2025 winter weather budget is $28.8 million and includes salt, salt brine, overtime for employees, and equipment maintenance. The department has three salt vendors to refill salt bins as needed at the Region’s 41 salt bins. In Region 3 alone, crews are equipped with 281 salt trucks and 67,370 tons of salt.
When snow hits Tennessee, TDOT ice and snow removal teams focus first on clearing interstates and heavily traveled state routes. During prolonged weather events, crews may have to clear roadways repeatedly. Equipment will be staged in various locations for quicker response time, and tools like chainsaws will be ready to be utilized in the event of downed trees on the roadway.
For winter weather tips, travel information, and a regional breakdown of TDOT winter weather supplies and equipment, visit the TDOT website https://www.tn.gov/tdot/inclement-weather/ice-snow.html. Motorists are encouraged to check the TDOT SmartWay map (https://smartway.tn.gov) before hitting the road to check on real-time conditions in their area and along their route.
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