SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — As what could be the most impactful winter storm of the season rolls in, Utah Highway Patrol and the Utah Department of Transportation are making preparations in order to keep roads open and safe.
This upcoming winter storm is expected to make a major impact on the roadways, especially during the drive tonight and in the early morning tomorrow.
UHP is preparing for the possibility of more crashes during the storm by having extra troopers all across the state to help clean up damage as quickly as possible and keep roads open. UDOT is also preparing for the storm by checking its equipment, loading it with extra salt, and scheduling longer hours of work for the next few days.
“We’re making sure everything is greased and ready to go, every 10 hours we need to grease our equipment, loaders and trucks to make sure they’re staying running so in the middle of the snow storm we are not down three trucks,” UDOT Transportation Tech Jonathan Ride said.
This winter has kept plow drivers busy with the near-constant snow that has ski resorts ranking top in the United States. UDOT says they are preparing to staff 24/7 for this storm, as even small storms can create problems for road conditions.
The departments warn drivers to do their part in staying safe on the road by slowing down, putting plenty of space between their vehicles and others, checking cars ahead of time, and avoiding travel if possible.
They also ask drivers to be cautious around emergency vehicles and UDOT plows as they are working to keep roads safe.
“We all got that spring fever, excited for spring to come, ready for warmer weather. But we still have these storms that happen throughout the late spring, so we need to be prepared for those,” UHP PIO Sgt. Cameron Roden said.
