Oklahoma Road Crews Prepare For Possibly Icy Commute Wednesday

Local and state road crews could be working around the clock until next week when the weather improves. 

State road crews will be reporting in as early as 2 a.m. Wednesday ahead of a possibly icy commute, according to ODOT spokesperson Lisa Shearer-Salim. 

Oklahoma City Street Superintendent Raymond Melton said more than 20 trucks will be pretreating roadways Tuesday night and into the morning with a focus on bridges and overpasses. 

Melton said road conditions on Wednesday morning could be similar to Monday when a layer of ice conditions contributed to several crashes. 

“That's why we saw so many pile-ups,” Melton said. “People thought it was just a glaze on the roadway and it really was ice and couldn't stop quick enough.” 

“If you hit a slick spot that’s hard to see, everything could change in a moment,” said Shearer-Salim. “So, we really want motorists to take it easy, take it slow, put away distractions and be prepared for whatever may happen.” 

Maps on ODOT update regularly with road conditions and travel speeds. 

Oklahoma City Public Works and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation are both alternating two 12-hour shifts through the winter system, which could be around until next week. 

Melton said the city has used about 340 tons of salt so far this year and still has more than 10,000 tons standing by. Shearer-Salim said ODOT has more than enough salt, sand, and other chemicals to last through next week. 

“We just ask everybody to slow down. Slow down till Tuesday if you can,” Melton said.