Crews work to clear roads after another round of wintry weather hits West Tennessee

MADISON COUNTY, Tenn. — Round two of snow for West Tennessee began as crews were already working to clear roads from Friday’s snow and ice.

“Our guys worked through the night trying to treat the roads as much as we could with a layer of salt and in some areas salt brine,” Tennessee Department of Transportation spokesperson Nichole Lawrence said.

Lawrence says her crews were faced with a few challenges.

“Now that the temperatures have gotten a little lower, we are not able to use the brine as much. We are using just pure salt right now,” Lawrence said.

Constantly coming in and going out, TDOT has more than 170 trucks and 28,000 tons of salt across West Tennessee and are focused on the busy main roads.

“The interstate is our first priority and getting the routes cleared,” Lawrence said. “Right now, we are seeing the slow lane is pretty clear. The fast lane is not as clear because it’s not as traveled.”

TDOT is now speaking out about the big traffic mess last Friday that happened on Interstate 40.

“I think we worked most of the day Sunday and Monday trying to upright and trying to clear most of those tractor-trailers, vehicles stuck in that area,” Lawrence said.

The wintry weather caused 25 to 30 cars and tractor-trailers to pile up on I-40 Friday, making travel a nightmare. That kind of pileup is something crews are racing to avoid Tuesday.

“I would say traffic is hazardous right now. If you don’t have to get out, then stay inside,” Lawrence said.

Officials with the City of Jackson Street Department say they have been answering calls and sending out their four salt trucks.

They say Old Hickory Boulevard and North Parkway by the Kroger have been difficult, as well as the hill on Henderson Road.

They say they are focusing on main roads in the Hub City and are not going inside individual neighborhoods.