[Durham INC] Durham Prepared for Tomorrow's Winter Weather

[Blalock, Amy]

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

 

 

News Release

 

For Details, Contact:

Amy Blalock

Sr. Public Affairs Specialist

(919) 560-4123 x 11253

(919) 475-7735 (cell)

Amy.Blalock at durhamnc.gov <mailto:Amy.Blalock at durhamnc.gov> 

 

For Immediate Release:  December 17, 2009

 

City of Durham Prepared for Tomorrow's Winter Weather Forecast

Motorists Urged to Use Caution Driving Friday and Saturday

 

DURHAM, N.C. - With winter weather predicted to begin tomorrow afternoon
and last until Saturday evening, the City of Durham is busy preparing
today to keep city streets operating smoothly.

 

The Street Maintenance Division of the City's Department of Public Works
has crews on stand-by, ready to immediately use five salt-and-sand
trucks as soon as the forecasted weather begins with an additional two
dump trucks on stand-by to specifically target icy "hot spots" as
needed.  In addition, the department is outfitting 33 trucks with plows
and loaded salt-and-sand spreaders to be ready by this afternoon to
spring into action as soon as any frozen precipitation begins to fall. 

 

"We are flexible and ready to respond to tomorrow's predicted winter
weather and, if need be, our crews are now on stand-by and ready to go
to work to keep our roads as passable as possible," said Katie Kalb,
director of the City's Department of Public Works.  "We are following
weather reports carefully and we will be ready to immediately respond if
necessary."

 

To further prepare for tomorrow's forecast, City employees will begin
today distributing a salt-brine solution on high-traffic bridges and
overpasses throughout the city limits as well as in the downtown area.
Salt-brine solution is a salt and water mix that is sprayed onto the
roadway surfaces before snow and ice begins to fall, helping to prevent
accumulation from bonding to the road surface.  

 

"We are pre-treating certain high-traffic roads throughout the city,"
said Michael Balzarano, superintendent of the Street Maintenance
Division of the City's Department of Public Works.  "We hope that the
combination of the salt-brine solution and salt-and-sand trucks we have
ready to roll will keep our roadways passable."

 

The City's plan of action for clearing or reducing hazards on city
streets is prioritized in the following order:

*         Bridges and overpasses throughout the city.

*         Major arterial streets within the city.

*         Streets to essential health facilities, police and fire
stations and critical community facilities.

*         Routes to two City fuel sites.

*         Streets within the central business district.

*         Clear access to Durham Public Schools.

*         All residential areas with priority initially to passage of
emergency vehicles and then to all traffic.

 

Residents and property owners are responsible for snow and ice removal
in their driveways, apartment access roads, parking lots and sidewalks.
The clearing of private streets is the responsibility of the homeowners
within that subdivision.  In order to facilitate snow and ice removal on
city streets, residents can help by adhering to the following tips:

*         Stay off the roads if at all possible.  If you must drive, be
sure you have good all-weather tires or chains.

*         If at all possible, park your car off the street or highway to
let salt-and-sand spreaders pass with ease.

*         If your problem is a life-or-death emergency, call 911.

 

Durham residents are also reminded to be careful of downed power lines
and should report them to Duke Energy at 1-800-POWERON (1-800-769-3766)
or in Spanish at 1-866-4APAGON (1-866-427-2466).

 

To report downed trees on city streets, contact the Durham Emergency
Communications Center Non-Emergency line at (919) 560-4600 unless the
downed tree presents an immediate, life-threatening hazard; then
motorists should call 911. 

 

Finally, the Durham Police Department advises motorists to treat
intersections with malfunctioning traffic lights as four-way stops and
proceed with caution.

 

For additional information on other City services, facilities, or
programs that may be affected by the predicted winter weather, contact
Durham One Call at (919) 560-1200, visit the City's Web site at 
www.durhamnc.gov or tune into DTV8 either on Time Warner Cable channel 8
or online at www.durhamnc.gov/dtv8 <http://www.durhamnc.gov/dtv8/> . 

 

###

 

News Media:  For interview opportunities and/or b-roll or still shot
opportunities of City of Durham salt-brine trucks preparing roadways
this afternoon, contact the Office of Public Affairs BEFORE 3 p.m. today
to make arrangements. 

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