GDOT Begins Snow Plowing Across Region; Motorists Urged to Stay Off Roads

As the impacts of snow, sleet and freezing rain began to grip north and central Georgia on Friday morning, the Georgia Department of Transportation transitioned its operations from pre-treatment using brine to active snowplow and removal in much of the state. With several inches of snow in some locations, more than 300 pieces of equipment are now deployed across the region to plow Georgia roads. Crews continue to work 12-hour shifts and are prioritizing those routes that are heavily traveled by emergency vehicles. However, residents should understand that with continued precipitation still in the forecast for much of Friday, including sleet and freezing rain, conditions on the roads continue to deteriorate and should be considered hazardous for travel. Numerous crashes and incidents have been reported on Georgia’s interstates and state routes. For their own safety, motorists should continue to heed all warnings to stay off the roads.

At a press conference at the headquarters of the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA/HS) Friday morning, Gov. Brian P. Kemp praised the efforts of Geogia DOT and the other state agencies who are playing a key role in Georgia’s response to the storm. He also expressed his thanks to the people of Georgia for doing their part and thanked Georgians for continuing to heed warnings to avoid driving if at all possible. “I want to thank our citizens for listening to the advice that we’ve been giving over the last 24 to 48 hours about being prepared and winter-weather ready,” said Kemp.