Ga. crews clear all state routes after winter storm

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - After a mixture of snow, freezing rain and sleet fell Friday, Georgia Department of Transportation says all state routes in east-central Georgia are cleared.

Crews worked through the night and on Saturday to plow remaining slush from Friday’s winter storm.

Officials say Bobby Jones Expressway and Interstate 20 were their highest priorities.

Crews applied an additional layer of brine to all lane miles of Bobby Jones Expressway and I-20 in the area.

Plow teams were working on I-20 from mile marker 84 to mile marker 138 to clear snow from the shoulder. Plow teams also worked to push back snow and put out salt on various state routes, mainly focusing on Lincoln, Wilkes and Oglethorpe counties.

Winter weather causes crashes across CSRA on slick roads

Multiple cars crashed due to winter weather conditions on I-20 in the CSRA on Friday, according to authorities.

Winter weather causes several crashes in the CSRA.

As of 8 p.m. Friday, all state routes in east-central Georgia were able.

More than 300 pieces of equipment were deployed across the region to plow Georgia roads, with crews working 12-hour shifts and prioritizing routes that are heavily traveled by emergency vehicles.

ON THE ROAD

Advice from GDOT: Stay safe and aware

For real-time traffic assistance or information, to report an issue on Georgia roads, or to request roadside assistance 511GA by dialing 511 hands-free on your mobile phone, ing the 511GA app or visit 511GA.org.
For a list of facts and materials related to Georgia DOT’s winter weather preparedness including fact sheets, photos and video, please visit https://www.dot.ga.gov/GDOT/pages/WinterWeather.aspx.

Even before precipitation started falling, crews had treated more than 20,000 lane miles of Georgia interstates, state routes, bridges and overes with more than 1 one million gallons of brine.

Crews had also applied approximately 770 tons of salt to roadways across the region.

All interstates and state routes in the most affected areas had been treated at least once by the time the storm arrived early Friday morning, with most interstates having been treated twice.

Augusta leaders held a news conference Thursday afternoon to explain what they were doing about the storm.

The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office was checking on shelters that are available for those in need, including the Salvation Army Center of Hope, Garden City Rescue Mission and Augusta Rescue Mission.

Meanwhile, the engineering staff and state crews pretreated thoroughfares like Washington Road, Gordon Highway and Deans Bridge Road to help keep ice from forming and getting snow-removal equipment ready.

As far as the public, Fire Chief Antonio Burden urged people to have an emergency kit in their homes and cars that, among other things, has blankets, a 72-hour supply of medications, food and other necessities.

Some crowded the stores trying to stock up.

Thousands cope with power outages in CSRA after storm

Georgia Power said its crews were prepared and responding to issues quickly after winter weather moved through the state.

“Wherever we go, it’s always crowded. We couldn’t get a parking spot. Normally, we park up front, but we’re all the way in the back, and it’s very crowded in Kroger right now,” said Jeneise Waldin, who lives in Augusta.

Ahead of the storm, Burden offered some advice that still holds true, since it will be cold this weekend.

At home, make sure your pipes are insulated, bring pets indoors and leave faucets dripping, Burden said.

Check on vulnerable neighbors, and use generators safely – which means only outdoors and well away from your house – to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

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Dress in layers and stay inside as much as possible.

On Thursday, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency through Tuesday.

His advice to the public was much the same as Burden’s.

“Plan ahead and stay tuned to updates from state and local officials to ensure you and your loved ones remain safe while our first responders continue to work tirelessly throughout this weather event,” Kemp said.