“Slow down and leave plenty of room”: SCDOT prepares for possible winter weather

FILE – Steve Beckett with the street department in Owensboro, Ky., sprays a salt brine solution along Hickman Avenue in preparation for predicted snow and ice over the weekend, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025, in Owensboro, Ky. (Greg Eans/The Messenger-Inquirer via AP, File)

 (WCIV) — South Carolina Department of Transportation crews have been working to ensure that roadways and bridges in the Lowcountry are prepared for forecasted winter weather coming this weekend.

Officials say they are partnering with the South Carolina Emergency Management Division and the National Weather Service to monitor weather conditions as they prepare for the cold weather.

They say that preparation includes constantly monitoring the forecast and pretreating priority routes with brine and salt to make sure that people have access to emergency facilities, primary roads and interstates.

SCDOT says that crews are pretreating roads and that they have been treating bridges in Charleston since Thursday, starting with non-interstate bridges and then moving to interstate bridges Friday.

SCDOT also says crews will work around the clock as needed until roads are safe and are prepared to deploy additional plows and treatment trucks as condition requires.

Officials recommend drivers stay off the roads during winter storms if possible, and if travel is absolutely necessary, it is recommended to drive slowly and leave plenty room for SCDOT crews and other drivers to operate safely.