Motorists in north central Pennsylvania are advised that PennDOT is pre-treating roads today in advance of the potential winter weather forecast to begin this evening.
Anti-icing, as it is called, involves wetting the highway with salt brine before a storm’s arrival. The solution lowers the freezing point of water and slows or prevents ice from forming a bond with the pavement during the early stages of a storm.
The anti-icing trucks may be seen along the area’s interstate highways and other major routes. The salt brine is spread from sprayers attached to the brine tank on PennDOT trucks. The trucks have signs on the backs indicating their purpose.
PennDOT reminds motorists to slow down and drive according to the conditions they encounter when winter storms hit.
PennDOT notes that the treatment isn't a silver bullet, and drivers still could encounter slick spots on the roadway; rather it gives our crews an edge at the start of a storm.
Find out more at PennDOT.gov/winter.
Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 770 traffic cameras.
511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.
