SHA Urges Motorists to Delay Driving Monday Morning
Officials with the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) are urging motorists to delay or cancel early morning travel tomorrow, Jan. 12, as forecasters are calling for freezing rain overnight into the morning.
On Sunday, SHA crews began pre-treating metropolitan area interstates and other major roadways with salt brine as an initial measure to prevent ice accumulation. As pavement temperatures throughout central Maryland remain below freezing, precipitation is likely to freeze on road surfaces making any travel extremely dangerous.
“With last Tuesday’s morning rush hour storm still fresh in our memories, we’re again strongly advising motorists to avoid or delay driving Monday morning to give our crews the time and room they need to safely clear the roads,” said SHA Administrator Melinda Peters. “With pavement temperatures below freezing, any overnight or early morning precipitation will likely cause icy conditions – making driving extremely dangerous. Consider taking transit or working from home while we take care of making the roads safe for travel.”
According to a news release, SHA crews are closely monitoring the storm, pre-treating roadways and are ready to respond in full force as soon as wintry precipitation begins to fall. With freezing rain in the forecast, SHA crews plan to attack the storm using salt, salt brine and sand to provide additional traction for vehicles and assist with deicing the roads.
The SHA is encouraging the use of public transportation on Monday and urges caution while walking to and from transit stations as slippery conditions are expected.
Drivers can view the latest road conditions on SHA’s website at www.roads.maryland.gov and clicking “CHART.” Travelers may obtain the latest free traffic and weather information by calling 5-1-1 from a landline or a hands-free mobile device or logging onto www.MD511.org.
Maryland’s 511 service now offers free text and email alerts for most frequented routes through 511Direct – simply register and set your routes and preferences on-line.
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