Highway, road crews prepared for year’s first winter weather

Crews with the Arkansas Department of Transportation spent a large portion of this week preparing for the winter storm forecast to impact the state, starting overnight Thursday and continuing into today. ARDOT District 1 Engineer Cannon Callicott said crews also worked this week to patch potholes created by recent rain across the district. “We’re full on sand and our salt stockpiles,” said Callicott. “We pretreated all of the main routes and a lot of the secondary routes as well. We’ll treat the trouble spots where we usually have problems.” During an interview on Thursday, Callicott said the type of precipitation that falls across the region would dictate how crews respond. “Once we get into it and see what the temperatures are going to do, we’ll take it as it comes,” he said. Crews began working 12-hour shifts on Thursday. “We’ll work day and night until this is over,” he said. “We’ve done all we can do going into it so now it’s just up to the good Lord what we’re going to get. Hopefully this will push through quickly and we’ll get sunshine Saturday and Sunday. Sunshine will go a long way on this. If it stays snow, we can handle that pretty good.” Callicott said highway crews will focus their efforts on Interstate 40 before moving into other areas. “The main thing is to keep that interstate moving. If it stops, then we can’t get in there and treat the roads. It would be a mess. We’ll start with the interstate and the primary routes first. As we get those cleared, we’ll move to secondary routes,” he said. Callicott cautioned anyone who does not have to travel to remain at home. “The best thing for everybody is to just stay at the house. It will make our jobs a whole lot easier,” he said. City departments in Forrest City have also been taking precautions this week, not only pre-treating roadways but by also opening warming shelters for the public at the Civic Center and the multipurpose building at the Sports Complex. The shelters will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., for anyone who needs to use them. Mayor Larry Bryant said that if the weather should cause I-40 to be closed, the shelter will be at the multipurpose building because they have cots and showers to accommodate people. “We bought another 70-plus cots with mattresses so people will have places to sleep. We couldn’t get any blankets, but hopefully the buildings will be warm. We’ll find a way to get some blankets if we need them,” said Bryant. St. Francis County Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Zakk Jumper offered tips regarding how to handle the snow and ice. Jumper said it is best for people to stay home when road conditions become icy due to the potential dangers involved. "Don't get out unless you absolutely have to," said Jumper. "The road conditions can be very dangerous and it is already going to take emergency services longer to make it to a call due to the conditions. If someone absolutely needs to get out, take it slow and be careful. In addition to longer response times, it also will put emergency responders at a higher risk themselves if there are having to come rescue people who went off of the road." Jumper stressed that if people have no choice but to be out on the roads, they should plan to take blankets and other means of staying warm while waiting for emergency services. "In case of an emergency, remember to dial 911," said Jumper. "Don't call the fire departments or the police departments. Call our dispatch center and we will get first responders to the caller. If you have to get out, make sure to take precautions and carry things like blankets or another way to stay warm while emergency services make their way to you.” Jumper said anyone planning to use alternative methods for heating their homes should purchase a carbon monoxide detector before using any method with a flame. "If anyone needs to find an alternative heating source for their homes and plan to use anything with a flame, they should make sure to go and purchase a carbon monoxide detector," said Jumper. "Anything with a flame can produce carbon monoxide. Don't use a grill inside the home to keep warm. Even fireplaces can produce carbon monoxide in the home if they do not have proper ventilation." As of press time, local businesses were adjusting their work hours for today and area schools were closing due to the weather.

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