Road Crews Worry About Overnight "Black Ice" Potential
By: Lauren Trager, KARK 4 News
Updated: December 26, 2012
Road crews are buckling down for a very long night, worried about moisture on the roadways as temperatures begin to drop again.
The snowfall may be behind us, but the worst driving conditions may still be to come.
The reason: nearly every road is wet. as temperatures drop, roadway could become a skating rink of black ice and road crews say there just isn't much they can do about it.
"I wanted a white Christmas, this is not exactly what I wanted," said Little Rock resident Christopher Aldridge.
Without power in his apartment, Christopher Alridge decided to hoof it Wednesday, checking out a maze of downed trees and power lines on Kavanaugh in Little Rock.
"A lot of damage, more than what I've seen in a while," he said.
Little Rock road crews have their work cut out for them. Trees block streets all over town. Some are too criss-crossed with wires to clear yet.
"It's just treacherous out there," said Steve Beck with Little Rock Public Works.
Beck says crews are working 24-7, but are prioritizing their plows and trucks.
"We've got a snow plan so we get the arterial streets open first for emergency vehicles, police, fire and ambulances," Beck said.
It may be a few days, Beck says, before they can get to more residential areas.
Overnight, they'll continue to salt and sand main streets. but, expecting a ton of black ice, driving conditions Thursday morning---beck says, will be dangerous.
His advice:
"Stay home, I don't know that they will be helping me so much, but they will be helping themselves," Beck said.
Alridge has faith in the road crews. but for now, he says he won't be getting behind the wheel.
"I am not going to get out and drive in this."
About 35 people will be out all night, some of them plowing and some laying sand for traction and salt to combat the ice.
But it all depends on the temperature. If it gets below 20 degrees, which it may, that salt becomes pretty ineffective.
Crews say they can't stress it enough: t best thing to do is just stay off the roads.
The snowfall may be behind us, but the worst driving conditions may still be to come.
The reason: nearly every road is wet. as temperatures drop, roadway could become a skating rink of black ice and road crews say there just isn't much they can do about it.
"I wanted a white Christmas, this is not exactly what I wanted," said Little Rock resident Christopher Aldridge.
Without power in his apartment, Christopher Alridge decided to hoof it Wednesday, checking out a maze of downed trees and power lines on Kavanaugh in Little Rock.
"A lot of damage, more than what I've seen in a while," he said.
Little Rock road crews have their work cut out for them. Trees block streets all over town. Some are too criss-crossed with wires to clear yet.
"It's just treacherous out there," said Steve Beck with Little Rock Public Works.
Beck says crews are working 24-7, but are prioritizing their plows and trucks.
"We've got a snow plan so we get the arterial streets open first for emergency vehicles, police, fire and ambulances," Beck said.
It may be a few days, Beck says, before they can get to more residential areas.
Overnight, they'll continue to salt and sand main streets. but, expecting a ton of black ice, driving conditions Thursday morning---beck says, will be dangerous.
His advice:
"Stay home, I don't know that they will be helping me so much, but they will be helping themselves," Beck said.
Alridge has faith in the road crews. but for now, he says he won't be getting behind the wheel.
"I am not going to get out and drive in this."
About 35 people will be out all night, some of them plowing and some laying sand for traction and salt to combat the ice.
But it all depends on the temperature. If it gets below 20 degrees, which it may, that salt becomes pretty ineffective.
Crews say they can't stress it enough: t best thing to do is just stay off the roads.
