2022-2023 Winter Weather Guide What You Should Know www.dot.ga.gov Georgia DOT Priorities Achieve & Maintain "Passable" Road Conditions Make keeping roads safe for emergency vehicles a priority Focus crews first on interstates; then state routes from the most heavily traveled, to the least traveled Goal is to maintain all lanes passable unless storm severity dictates otherwise Focus on Trouble Spots Pretreat bridges and overpasses prior to snow and ice conditions and monitor consistently Key Stakeholder Coordination Pretreat bridges and overpasses prior to snow and ice conditions and monitor consistently Update the public on road conditions and road closures as needed Interstate Response Teams Teams with different expertise respond to a variety of incidences. GDOT identifies these as Brine Distribution, Interstate, Special Response and Traffic Strike teams: Brine - Brine units distribute on impacted highways. (Brine is a mixture of salt and water is used as a preventative treatment and is intended to limit the bonding of the ice to the pavement). Interstate - Treat and remove snow from interstate roadways using 3-5 tandem dump trucks (trucks with snow plows and material spreaders attached). Up to 18 crews. Special Response - Respond to "hot spots" outside of treatment areas where interstate teams will focus. Traffic Strike - Consist of Georgia State Patrol; Motor Carrier Compliance Division; Georgia DOT Highway Emergency Response Operator; Department of Natural Resources; Georgia Forestry Commission and Georgia Department of Defense personnel. Dealing with Black Ice When wet roads freeze, the threat of black ice is possible. Black ice is a thin, often invisible sheet of ice that forms on the roadway, especially on bridges and overpasses and low lying areas. It can form at any time when temperatures drop below freezing and there is any form of moisture, from sprinklers, run-off or precipitation on the road way. GDOT Highway Emergency Response Operators (HEROs) will monitor roadways in metro Atlanta for potential freezing. HEROs will notify the 511 dispatchers and routine maintenance crews will address these issues. Will use the Roadway Weather Information System to help identify potential timeframes for black ice to enhance monitoring of these roadways. Will monitor black ice areas that were problematic during prior winter weather events and address it as soon as it occurs. Winter Weather Technology Road Weather Information System (RWIS) - roadway sensors in 55 locations across the state will improve ability to predict weather conditions on roads such as ice, temperature, precipitation and wind. Expanded network of RWIS capabilities will include Georgia airports; and real-time capability to view all surrounding states' weather conditions (AL, TN, NC, SC, North FL and MS). Added additional cameras to NaviGAtor Intelligent Transportation System to assist with monitoring and deploying resources. Enhanced GIS equipment tracking to identify locations being treated. Web-based program to monitor incidents. Snow removal equipment operators equipped with communication devices to share real-time conditions with their Area and District Storm Operations Center. Materials and Resources Statewide (approximately) 1,922 employees on call covering 40,359 lane miles interstate & state routes 53,880 tons of salt 43,520 tons of gravel 128,400 gallons of calcium chloride 446,970 pounds of calcium chloride (granular) 1,800,950 gallons of brine 393 snow removal dump truck units (one plow + spreader + dump truck = 1dump truck unit) 61 F-250 pick-ups with plows and spreaders Capacity to store over 1,805,000 gallons of brine Capacity to store over 130,000 gallons of Calcium Chloride. Capacity to produce 50,000 gallons of brine per hour, statewide GDOT may relocate district resources to the most - needed areas during an event Pretreatment Materials and Response Equipment Materials Brine to pretreat metro Atlanta and north Georgia interstates to prevent ice from building up on roadways 13 tankers will dispense brine along metro Atlanta interstates up to 24 hours before winter weather hits 31, 5,000-gallon brine tankers are available to apply brine treatment to the interstates and critical routes GDOT's Forest Park facility houses an automated brine production units, which includes 220,000 gallons of storage Districts 1, 2, 3 and 6 have additional brine plants and units Equipment Six multi-lane tow plows to clear two lanes in one pass. Multi-lane tow plows will be dispatched around the state when needed and remove snow and ice from interstates and multi-lane state routes Single and/or double-axle dump trucks with front-attached snowplows to push snow and ice from roadways Single and/or double-axle dump trucks with rear-attached hopper spreaders or tailgate spreaders to distribute salt/gravel mixture and brine for de-icing the roads Plows and spreaders for F-250 pick-ups which allow multi-use of equipment year around Tractor-type motor graders for moving snow Safety Messages Beware of black ice (especially on bridges and overpasses) and watch for fallen trees or power lines Avoid driving unless absolutely necessary or postpone until daylight when road conditions, such as black ice, may be visible Do not pass a GDOT dump truck spreading salt/gravel; gravel may kick up and could break car windows. Follow at least 100-feet behind these vehicles Be aware of GDOT work crews who clear snow and ice from interstates and state routes SLOW DOWN to at least half of the normal speed limit and drive in low gear Treat a non-working traffic signal as a four-way stop Contacts and Information Media Contacts: Natalie Dale: 404-631-1814 Elizabeth Johnson: (D1) 770-533-7250 Vacant: (D2) 478-553-3361 Gina Snider: (D3) 706-741-3439 Juanita Birmingham: (D4) 229-326-5435 Jill Nagel: (D5) 912-424-6643 Joe Schulman: (D6) 678-721-5284 Melodii Peoples: (D7) 404-381-7346 WHITFIELD HABERSHAM DADE CATOOSA MURRAY FANNIN TOWNS UNION RABUN WALKER CHATTOOGA GORDON 6 FLOYD BARTOW GILMER PICKENS CHEROKEE WHITE LUMPKIN STEPHENS DAWSON FORSYTH 1HALL FRANKLIN BANKS HART JACKSON MADISON ELBERT 7 POLK PAULDING COBB HARALSON DOUGLAS FULTON BARROW GWINNETT CLARKE DEKALB WALTON OCONEE OGLETHORPE WILKES ROCKDALE CARROLL NEWTON HENRY MORGAN GREENE TALIAFWERARORREN LINCOLN COLUMBIA FAYETTE CLAYTON McDUFFIE HEARD COWETA TROUP JASPER PUTNAM RICHMOND BUTTS SPALDING PIKE LAMAR 2 HANCOCK GLASCOCK JEFFERSON MONROE JONES BALDWIN WASHINGTON BURKE MERIWETHER UPSON HARRIS 3 TALBOT BIBB CRAWFORD WILKINSON TWIGGS JOHNSON JENKINS EMANUEL SCREVEN MUSCOGEE CHATTA- MARION TAYLOR PEACH MACON HOUSTON BLECKLEY LAURENS TREUTLEN BULLOCH CANDLER HOOCHEE EFFINGHAM MONTGOMERY SCHLEY STEWART WEBSTER SUMTER QUITMAN TERRELL LEE RANDOLPH DOOLY PULASKI DODGE WHEELER CRISP WILCOX TELFAIR TURNER BEN HILL JEFF DAVIS TOOMBS EVANS BRYAN TATTNALL APPLING 5 LIBERTY LONG CHATHAM CLAY CALHOUN DOUGHERTY WORTH IRWIN EARLY MILLER BAKER 4 TIFT MITCHELL COLQUITT BERRIEN COOK COFFEE BACON WAYNE ATKINSON PIERCE WARE BRANTLEY McINTOSH GLYNN SEMINOLE LANIER DECATUR GRADY THOMAS BROOKS LOWNDES CLINCH ECHOLS CHARLTON CAMDEN Inclement Weather Partners National Weather Service: 770-486-1133 GEMA: 800-879-4362 Georgia State Patrol: 404-624-7700 GPB Radio: 800-222-6006 HERO and CHAMP: 511 Access roadway conditions here: https://www.dot.ga.gov/GDOT/Pages/WinterWeather.aspx Follow GDOT social media: @GeorgiaDOT @GADeptofTrans @GADeptofTrans Scan for Website @GADeptofTransportation Georgia Department of Transportation Office of Strategic Communications One Georgia Center 600 West Peachtree Street NW Atlanta, GA 30308 Phone: 404.631.1990 www.dot.ga.gov 2022-2023 Georgia Department of Transportation Office of Strategic Communications