NCDOT Deploys 13 Trucks To Brine Johnston County Roadways Ahead Of Possible Winter Storm

JOHNSTON COUNTY – The NC Department of Transportation began the process of brining area roadways Thursday morning. The NCDOT wants to brine as many roads as possible now through Friday ahead of a storm system that could bring a wintry mix of precipitation across the area late Friday through early Saturday.

Andrew Barksdale, NCDOT Public Relations Officer, said maintenance crews are spraying brine on all of major routes, including I-40, I-95, US 70, US 301 and other four-lane routes in Johnston County.

On Tuesday, highway crews filled the tanks at the Johnston County maintenance yard on US 70. This morning (Wednesday), 13 trucks were deployed across Johnston County to spray these major routes.

Brine is a salt-water mixture and is more cost effective, but just as effective, as spreading rock salt along the highways. The brine helps prevent ice and snow from bonding on the pavement.

After NCDOT crews in Johnston County finish pretreating the roads before the potential snow event, they will be allowed to go home and rest. They will be ready to roll out early Saturday morning with snow plows and salt/sand spreaders, based on conditions.

“We are closely watching the forecast and getting frequent updates from the National Weather Service,” Barksdale said. “We know how important it is to keep our major routes open for emergency access, for folks to get to work, church and the stores, so we will be working hard through the weekend. If people see our big trucks and plows out, they should give us plenty of room and let us do our job safely.”

Johnston County Emergency Services Director Kevin Hubbard said, “We are monitoring and preparing and will adjust our preparations as we need to. We hope it will be a small system with little to no impact. We encourage people to stay at home and take care of yourself.”

You can visit the DriveNC.gov before venturing out on Saturday. The website, which is mobile friendly, will be updated with road conditions for every county in the state.