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PennDOT Crews' Proactive Approach To Treating Roads Pays Off

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Some winter weather moved through the area overnight, but PennDOT's proactive approach to treating roads appears to have paid off.

Last night's flash freeze caused some icy conditions on the roads this morning.

While getting around on the main roads wasn't too bad, snow-covered, icy side streets caused some problems for drivers.

PennDOT crews in Butler County say it took about 20 hours of babysitting to make sure the roadways were safe for commuters Tuesday morning.

While they say the whipping winds this morning may have made things a lot colder for us, it may have actually dried off the roads.

It was an efficient, but cautious commute for some this morning as drivers looked out for possible ice.

In Butler County, where snow-covered roads could be seen last night, the fight to keep things clear was the ongoing theme.

"We already had salt down. So, we had to retreat those areas as the temperature dropped," PennDOT's Robert Skrak said. "We were pretty much tending to the roads all night and all morning."

Crews were putting down layers of minimal amounts of brine and salt. As a result, they were able to keep things clear on the main roads. and drivable on the side streets.

The other issue was making sure the diesel fuel in their trucks didn't gel up due to the cold conditions.

"It's early. We don't normally get this until after Thanksgiving or in December. We don't usually see these things so hopefully it's not a precursor of things to come," Skrak said.

PennDot crews said they're looking into the effectiveness of using beet juice now before there's a salt shortage to make sure we have enough salt as we head into the thick of winter.

If you see any slippery conditions, PennDOT says to call 1-800-FIX-ROAD.

Many people weren't happy to deal with the cold, especially since this time just last week it was 70 degrees and people were out wearing shorts and flip flops.

"Many complaints," said Pitt student Hanna Cioffi. "I hate this weather. It's awful. I wish I'd gone to school in North Carolina. It's cold here too."

Cioffi wasn't alone.

"I'm thinking this weather is pretty bipolar, getting used to it though, because I live here, but it's very tough," said another Pitt student, Matt Mikus.

Although, the switch into winter was welcome for some people.

"Seventy degrees was just too hot," said one winter weather lover. "This is just right."

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