DOTD prepared for possible wintery weather
Monday, February 16, 2015 at 4:36:17 PM
BATON ROUGE, La. – Today, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announced that its staff is equipped to respond in the event of adverse weather. Forecasts call for a slight chance of sleet/freezing conditions throughout the state tonight and early Tuesday morning.
Throughout the state, DOTD has taken action in preparation. This includes:
• Deploying scouts with salting capabilities in case there is frozen precipitation.
• Staging de-icing resources to be on standby if required.
• Deploying message boards on key routes to warn of potential icing.
• DOTD’s Emergency Operation Center is open should winter conditions occur
Officials in northwest Louisiana, near Shreveport, plan to close several roadways this evening because of the wintery conditions and chance of refreezing. These include:
• I-49 from LA-526 (Bert Kouns Industrial Loop) to I-20.
• I-220.
• I-49 North from LA-1 (North Market Street) to the Arkansas state line.
• Benton Road overpass in Bossier City.
• Lake Bistineau Bridge.
Supply inventories and equipment have been checked, and crews will address any affected bridges and roadways. DOTD crews will be scouting bridges to ensure they are passable and will apply salt or other de-icing agents as needed. In addition, DOTD will continue to monitor upcoming weather situations. Additional roads will be closed if deemed necessary. Also, roads will be closed to remove any trees or limbs when needed.
For the most up-to-date road status information, DOTD offers motorists various resources.
• Motorists can receive automatic and up-to-date information on local projects, lane and road closures, and other DOTD activity by signing up for MyDOTD at www.dotd.la.gov.
• Travelers can also find information regarding road closures by visiting the 511 Traveler Information website at www.511la.org or by dialing 511 from their telephone and saying the route or region about which they are seeking information.
• Additionally, real-time traffic and road condition updates are also available at DOTD’s “Way to Geaux” smartphone application, which can be downloaded on any iPhone or Android device by visiting either the iTunes App Store, or Google Play.
DOTD urges motorists to use extra caution when traveling on roadways during hazardous weather conditions and stay off the roads whenever possible. DOTD will do everything it can to keep Louisiana’s highways and interstate system open in the event of freezing rain, sleet or snow and will prioritize the maintenance and opening of routes based on traffic volumes.
During winter weather conditions, motorists should the following driving safety tips:
• Drive slowly and carefully
• Avoid driving while distracted
• Always allow for extra driving time
Reduce speeds when visibility is low
• Make sure there is plenty of room between vehicles.
Also, beware of black ice--a thin, transparent layer of ice accumulation that can be visually hard to detect on bridges, overpasses, off-ramps and in shady spots. As always, DOTD reminds motorists to buckle up and refrain from drinking and driving.