City of Murfreesboro is READY FOR ICE

Dec 01, 2014 at 05:34 pm by bryan


The City of Murfreesboro is stocked and ready to clear streets of ice and snow this winter season. The City Street Division recently received 450 tons of salt and have readied snow plows and trucks for the winter season.

"We have 24 employees who are trained in snow and ice removal, and they are ready to mobilize when winter weather hits the City," said City Manager Rob Lyons. "Clearing our streets as quickly as possible is essential in our efforts to keep motorists safe and keep traffic moving."

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During periods of ice and snowstorms, six dump trucks equipped with snow plows and salt spreaders are used to clear the roads. The Street Division maintains a materials storage yard with a stockpile of salt each year. The City currently has a total stockpile of 900 tons of salt.

"We hope that we don't have to use the snow plows this winter," said City Streets Division Director Raymond Hillis. "But more snow than average is predicted so we know the City needs to be prepared for the worst if it happens."

The City's 2013-14 winter weather budget is approximately $50,000, and includes salt, overtime for employees, and equipment maintenance. Salt is applied to streets once snow has started to accumulate.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is responsible for maintaining and clearing interstates and state routes, including I-24 and SR840 in Rutherford County. Travel conditions are provided by the department through several information tools. For interactive roadway maps, motorists can visit the TDOT Smartway website at www.tn.gov/tdot/tdotsmartway/. Travelers can also access TN-511 for travel information by dialing from any landline or cellular phone or following 511 on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TN511 (statewide) or www.twitter.com/Nashville511(Nashville area).

December 1, 2014 marks the beginning of Winter Driving Safety Week. TDOT and the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security remind drivers when there's Ice and Snow: Take it Slow. Stranded motorists can dial *THP (*847) from any cellular phone if they are in need of assistance on a busy interstate. Citizens should call 911 for emergency situations.

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