Tennessee Department of Transportation maintenance crews are stocked and ready to keep Tennessee roads free of ice and snow this winter. 

TDOT and the Tennessee Highway Patrol are also reminding drivers of the best advice for driving in winter weather. In ice and snow, take it slow. That means slower speeds, slower acceleration, slower steering and slower braking.

In Region 2, which includes Warren County, the state has 180 salt trucks, 149 brine trucks, 75,934 tons in bulk salt, and 161,518 gallons of salt brine. Region 2 has 7,651 interstate and state route lane miles and an ice and snow budget of $5.4 million.

The department often uses an anti-icing measure called salt brine to help prevent snow and ice from accumulating on highways. It’s a combination of water, salt, and other additives that helps to prevent freezing from occurring. 

Salt brine is applied before the anticipated storm arrives, giving the roads a coat of protection that can start working as soon as snow starts falling. This allows TDOT to drastically reduce the amount of salt that must be used to battle winter weather conditions on the roadways, thus making winter maintenance work more economical. 

When snow and ice begins to accumulate on roadways, salt is spread and plows are utilized. 

TDOT constantly monitors weather conditions during the winter season, and road conditions are updated regularly on TDOT’s SmartWay Map.