COVINGTON, Ga. — GDOT maintenance forces and contractors for east Georgia, including Newton County, were set to begin brine operations this morning, Jan. 14, and continue 12-hour shifts into Saturday evening, a spokesperson said. .
And Newton County officials said crews were prepared to keep the county road system clear in the event of freezing precipitation.
The county's Public Works Department will have four salt trucks and five crews stationed throughout Newton starting Saturday, along with 100 tons of salt/sand mixture and 50 tons of calcium chloride on hand, said spokesman Bryan Fazio.
"The county's trucks are loaded and ready to go," Fazio said.
A GDOT spokesperson said crews will apply brine solution to interstates, state routes, bridges and overpasses in anticipation of freezing rain, sleet, ice and snow over the next several days during the initial phase prior to the weather system’s arrival.
Brine is a solution of salt and water used to decrease the probability of freezing under certain conditions. It takes 24 hours to complete a brine cycle, he said.
Crews on Saturday will transition to salt/rock application and continue deployments as conditions require into Sunday and Monday.
The current activity plan runs along and north of the I-20 corridor from Covington to Augusta. Brine will be deployed as far south as Georgia Hwy. 540 (the Fall Line Freeway) in central Georgia based on current weather reports — subject to change, the spokesperson said.
"With winter weather predicted to hit portions of north Georgia and potentially the east central region this weekend, the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is actively preparing and coordinating brine operations, equipment, materials and staffing plans to respond to the pending threat by treating hundreds of interstate and state route lane miles across the 27-county District Two area," the spokesperson said.
He said District Two has the following equipment, materials and staff available:
• More than 285 employees and 16 contractors on call; more than 2,000 employees statewide;
• Capacity to store 242,500 gallons of brine in District;
• 1.25-million brine gallons available statewide with ability to produce 50,000 gallons per hour;
• More than 2,400 tons of salt and 7,200 tons of stone;
• 39 snow removal units
Starting as early as 72 hours before winter weather is predicted to hit, GDOT's Emergency Response Team begins coordination of staffing to be ready to activate at least 24 hours before a storm hits.
GDOT Commissioner Russell McMurry said, "We are monitoring the storm closely and adjusting response plans as needed.
"As the forecast has evolved, it has become more likely that a significant area of Georgia will experience icy conditions as part of the incoming storm system. Ice adds a level of complexity, as well as increased danger, for our crews and motorists," he said.
“We anticipate downed trees, limbs and power lines. It is critical that motorists take this storm system very seriously and stay off the roads through the end of the event to give our crews the space needed to work," McMurry said.
