Charlotte Region At Risk Of Icy Roads, Officials Urge Caution

CHARLOTTE, NC — The main threat for this second round of winter weather is across central and eastern North Carolina, and the North Carolina Department of Transportation urges caution.

“We’re getting ready for this storm. You need to be ready, too,” said State Transportation Secretary J. Eric Boyette. “Get prepared because once this storm hits, road conditions will quickly deteriorate, and you’ll need to stay off the roads.”

Nearly 800 NCDOT employees and contract crews worked to prepare and treat roads prior to Friday. NCDOT and its contractors have more than 300 trucks and graders ready to work on roads through the weekend. NCDOT employees have also readied their chainsaws and other heavy equipment to make sure it’s ready to go to cut and remove any downed trees and debris. As of early Thursday afternoon, crews had applied nearly 1 million gallons of brine in central and eastern North Carolina and have restocked supplies of salt and sand to treat roads after the snow and freezing rain starts.

“Once the winter weather starts, the best thing you can do is stay home,” said N.C. Department of Transportation’s Chief Operating Officer Beau Memory. “Staying off the roads will make it easier for our crews and emergency responders to do their jobs.”

For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on social media.