Road plowing and salt spreading crews hope conditions will improve soon to clear the snow and ice, an official said.
“When the sun comes out (Wednesday), I believe we will start to see some significant melting because of the salt that we have already applied to our road system,” Rutherford County Highway Superintendent Greg Brooks said Tuesday.
The subfreezing temperatures combined with reports of up to 6.9 inches of snow in Rutherford County have meant unsafe roads and the closing of schools and local government offices Tuesday and Wednesday following Monday’s MLK Holiday.
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Brooks has crews operating four trucks with snow plows and salt spreaders to focus on about 600 miles of two-lane county roads. His oversight includes 980 miles overall when including subdivision streets.
“At these temperatures, the salt does not work very well if at all,” said Brooks, who oversees 68 employees. “We are having a lot of refreezing every night, which is more problematic than the snow itself.”
Brooks recommends people stay home if possible.
“It’s very treacherous out there,” Brooks said.
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Meteorologist: Weather may rise above freezing by Thursday
The dangerous road conditions follow a snow fall with reports ranging from 6.9 inches about 5 miles south of Murfreesboro, 6.7 inches in La Vergne and 5.9 inches in Smyrna, said Mark Rose, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service office for the Nashville area.
The snow for this recent storm is done. Temperatures will remain below freezing through Wednesday, Rose said.
“We don’t expect to be above freezing until maybe Thursday,” he said.
The temperatures might rise above freezing again by Sunday and will definitely be above freezing by Monday, Rose said.
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Interstate highways remain safety concern
The Tennessee Department of Transportation is also encouraging motorist to stay home while TDOT crews continue to clear the roads of snow and ice while temperatures remain dangerously low, according to a TDOT press release on Monday.
“Conditions will remain hazardous for at least the next 24 hours,” the TDOT press release said.
As of Monday, TDOT had responded to hundreds of incidents on the snow covered roads, including many of them involving more than one vehicle. In the mid-state alone, TDOT relocated 275 vehicles. In West Tennessee, 82 drivers have been helped in the last 24 hours, and in East Tennessee more than 200.
TDOT crews are working around the clock and focused on keeping primary routes, mainly interstates, clear. Crews will target areas vulnerable to freezing, such as hills, curves, ramps, bridges, and interchanges.
“Please, if you do not need to travel, stay home,” the TDOT press release said. “We want you and our crews, to remain safe.”
People can use their cell phones or computers to search TDOT updates about road conditions through SmartWay traffic cameras at www.TNSmartWay.com/Traffic. Travelers can also dial 511 for travel information, or follow TDOT tweets for statewide travel on the X social media platform at https://twitter.com/myTDOT.
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Schools and governments close offices
Rutherford County, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, La Vergne and Eagleville closed offices Tuesday and Wednesday for non-essential services.
Rutherford County Schools, Murfreesboro City Schools and Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro also closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
Rutherford Mayor Joe Carr said he hopes the closed offices for his government can reopen by Thursday if the slippery road conditions improve.
“We’re just not going to risk the health and safety of our county residents just so we can keep our offices open one more day,” Carr said. “It is our hope and expectations, and we’re making every effort, to be open normal hours on Thursday.”
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VA hospitals will remain open
All services at the Nashville and Alvin C. York VA Medical Centers will be operational Wednesday, except for mental health and primary care, according to a press release from Joshua Cox, spokesman for the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System.
Reach reporter Scott Broden with news tips or questions by emailing him at sbroden@dnj.com. To support his work with The Daily News Journal, sign up for a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Road crews hope salt will start melting Rutherford snow soon
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