NORTH TEXAS — Highway crews in North Texas are already out spraying brine ahead of potential winter weather next week. The salt and water mixture acts as an anti-freeze to prevent ice from binding on the roadways.
The North Texas Tollway Authority started brining elevated surfaces on its highways Friday. NTTA will also have a patrol presence throughout the system on Sunday night into Monday morning.
The TxDOT Fort Worth District plans to start pre-treating roads on Sunday, with a focus on bridges and overpasses as well since those tend to freeze first.
“Fortunately the brine that we apply can last almost a week depending on the weather and traffic,” said Val Lopez with the TxDOT Fort Worth District. “So getting out ahead of it is best practice that we utilize.”
When the weather rolls in, TxDOT will have more than 350 personnel working around the clock with a stockpile of more than half a million gallons of brine.