Worried about winter weather?
The Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) is already prepared for what Mother Nature may throw at us this year.
“The State of Maryland is ready for winter and will again aggressively fight to keep our roads clear and safe,” said SHA Administrator Neil J. Pedersen.
One goal this year is to pre-treat interstates ahead of storms in order to cut down on the amount of ice and snow that sticks to roadways, according to the SHA.
In preparation for this winter, the SHA said it already has 340,000 tons of salt, 675,000 gallons of salt brine (liquidized salt) and 30,000 gallons of sugar beet molasses ready to be used.
The SHA said it will be monitoring roadway cameras and pavement temperatures throughout the state during storms and will address collisions and stuck vehicles that could cause congestion.
During storms, travelers can go to www.roads.maryland.gov and click on “CHART” to see snow emergency plans, camera views, average travel speed maps, etc., according to the SHA. Travelers can report highway problems by going to roads.maryland.gov and clicking on “Contact Us” where they can choose to submit a service request.
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A winter storm hotline with regularly updated conditions will be available at 1-800-327-3125.
Some tips SHA has for travelers in the event of snow:
- If driving behind a snow plow or salt truck, stay at least 7-8 car lengths behind the truck.
- Avoid driving if possible.
- Make sure you have plenty of gas in your tank.
- Remove snow from vehicle headlights, roof.
- Keep a shovel, blanket, water, jumper cables, flares, snacks and a flash light in your vehicle.
