Georgia DOT provides status of storm preparations; announces closure of express lanes due to winter weather
ATLANTA, GA - On Thursday, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a State of Emergency declaration for all of Georgia in anticipation of the arrival of extreme winter weather which will affect much of the state. This declaration authorizes the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA/HS) to activate the State Operations Center (SOC) and mobilize any needed resources to address potential impacts. In addition to the many Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) crews and hundreds of personnel who began treating nearly 20,000 lane miles of roads in north and central Georgia with brine last evening, Georgia DOT will join other state agencies in providing essential personnel to the command center at the SOC as the storm continues to advance.
Thursday has also seen Georgia DOT crews continuing to apply brine to interstates, state routes, bridges and overpasses across metro Atlanta as well as north and central Georgia. Crews continue to work 12-hour shifts and are prioritizing those routes that are heavily traveled by emergency vehicles. All interstates and state routes in the most affected areas will have been treated at least once by the time the storm arrives early Friday morning, with ongoing monitoring of roadways and the potential for the application of additional brine, salt and gravel as conditions warrant.
Also Thursday, Georgia DOT announced the closure of two express lanes facilities, the I-75 Northwest Corridor Express Lanes northwest of metro Atlanta, and the I-75 South Metro Express Lanes south of metro Atlanta, at 11:30p.m. Thursday evening. The two express lanes facilities will be treated overnight in order to help avoid any accumulation of ice or snow. Georgia DOT will hold the lanes closed until it is confirmed they are safe to reopen. Highway Emergency Response Operators (HEROs) will be helping conduct sweeps to make that call.
Earlier today, the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia issued a Winter Storm Warning for north Georgia, metro Atlanta and parts of central Georgia from Friday at 7:00 a.m. through Saturday at 7:00 a.m., due to the predicted mix of multiple types of wintry precipitation with total snow and sleet accumulations of up to three inches and ice accumulation of up to one-third of an inch a possibility. Travel conditions will begin to deteriorate with the onset of wintry precipitation Friday morning, and road conditions could change quickly.
For their safety, motorists in affected areas are asked to plan now to limit travel as much as possible from Friday morning through mid-day Saturday. Avoid driving unless absolutely necessary or postpone until daylight when road conditions may be more visible. If you must venture out during this time, please drive with extreme caution and give GDOT crews room and space on the roads to help ensure they can safely do their jobs. Please be aware of the brine trucks and know they must travel 40 mph to properly apply the treatment. Motorists are also advised not to pass a Georgia DOT truck spreading salt or gravel, as gravel may kick up and damage vehicles which are following too closely. Please pay attention and stay back at least 100 feet.
For real-time traffic assistance or information, to report an issue on Georgia roads, or to request roadside assistance contact 511GA by dialing 511 hands-free on your mobile phone, downloading the 511GA app or visit 511GA.org. For a list of facts and materials related to Georgia DOT's winter weather preparedness including fact sheets, photos and video, please visit https://www.dot.ga.gov/GDOT/pages/WinterWeather.aspx.
Georgia Department of Transportation plans, constructs and maintains Georgia's state and federal highways. We're involved in bridge, waterway, public transit, rail, general aviation, bike and pedestrian programs. And we help local governments maintain their roads. Georgia DOT and its nearly 4,000 employees are committed to delivering a transportation system focused on innovation, safety, sustainability, and mobility. The Department's vision is to boost Georgia's competitiveness through leadership in transportation.
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