Agencies Prepare to Protect Travelers During Winter Weather

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)- Snow, sleet and ice are elements South Carolina drivers may encounter on roadways this weekend. The Department of Transportation says they will have a plan to keep roads safe no matter what kind of weather arrives.

“It changes but we’re close enough to where we can tell there is going to be some significant snowfall in the midlands so all our crews are preparing themselves and their families to go on the 12 hour shift to handle whatever comes our way,” said Alan Kozusko of SCDOT.

Kozusko says if roads are pretreated before icy conditions arrive, the rain will wash away the materials.

“We’re in an area especially in the Midlands, where we have to time the event and time our treating of the event during that time where it switches from rain to snow and that gives us the most ideal protection against the roads icing over,” said Kozuscko.

Road crews are not the only ones preparing to keep travelers safe. Columbia Metropolitan Airport officials say they are also ready for what the weather may bring.

“Certainly airport maintenance folks here our prepared,” began Lynne Douglas. “We have our equipment and our trucks ready. We will have a maintenance crew here very early. They will already have the trucks loaded with equipment that they need to put out on the taxiways and the runways certainly the pavement will need to get to a certain temperature before that equipment goes out.”

Because of the widespread nature of the winter storms, airport officials are advising flyers to stay up to date with their airlines. “Some of the airlines are looking as of this afternoon to make some decisions. There are already a couple of cancellations tomorrow morning we understand but again that could change but the hour,” said Douglas.