Mayor: Stagger morning commute due to road conditions
Mayor Karl Dean asks residents to continue to stagger their Friday morning commutes due to road conditions.
Some interstates are still slick and some side roads have not been cleared at all.
And at 4 p.m., there were four crashes or stalled vehicles on Nashville-area interstates, including I-40 eastbound near Bellevue, I-40 westbound near the airport, and I-64 northbound near Briley Parkway.
The heaviest snow moved out of the area around noon, but road conditions remain hazardous. Metro police officers handled 80 non-injury crashes and eight injury crashes between 5 a.m. and 2 p.m. Thursday, Dean said.
Metro Public Works crews were out salting the roads all night and continue to work today, said Jenna Smith, Metro Public Works spokeswoman. They were able to tackle some secondary roads as well as primary ones.
"They've made a lot of headway, but they're combating really treacherous conditions themselves," Smith said. "It's just really bad on the roads."
Tennessee Department of Transportation crews are working across Middle Tennessee to remove ice and snow from interstates and highways.
Crews are working nonstop, but the continued snowfall makes it difficult to keep the roads clear, said TDOT spokeswoman Heather Jensen said.
"I can't stress enough that it's going to be a while before the roads are cleared," Jensen said.
TDOT has 244 salt trucks and 248 snow plows working in Region 3, which includes 26 Middle Tennessee counties, Jensen said. The trucks cover more than 11,000 lane miles on interstates and state routes. TDOT does not clear city and neighborhood streets.
Interstates are priority, followed by heavily traveled state routes, and then less-traveled more rural state routes, Jensen said.
Ice and snow fell in the Nashville area causing near whiteout conditions and road visibility. Counties north of Nashville are also combating ice and snow while counties south of Nashville are battling icy conditions, Jensen said.
Problem areas are widespread.
"Every road has ice and snow on it," Jensen said.
Brian Haas, emergency management office spokesperson, said a major concerning going forward is that ice that has remained under snow has not melted.
"Anything on the roads tonight will no doubt freeze over, and we'll have an issue with black ice," he said.
The lack of regard for the elements could be seen on the roads near rush hour Thursday as some drivers traveling 60 mph or faster hit patches of snow sometimes sending sprays 20 feet high.
On steeper side roads like Caldwell Avenue, near Belmont University, a road still unplowed, cars could be seen sliding.
Snow completely covered some lanes of Interstate 65 northbound just before the Interstate 40 exit. Drivers could be seen pulled to the side of the road, themselves have blown out a tire, crashed into a wall or another vehicle.
Williamson County
In Williamson County, roads were covered with snow and ice, making for hazardous driving conditions.
Even at major intersections, such as Cool Springs Boulevard and Mack Hatcher Parkway, traffic moved into a single-file line, because the road shoulders were invisible, said Franklin Police Department spokesman Sgt. Charles Warner.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol urges residents to stay home this morning if they can.
Snow is falling on top of a layer of ice, which will make for a hazardous morning commute, said Lt. Bill Miller, spokesman for the highway patrol.
"If you do not have to get out in this weather, do not," Miller said.
Anyone who must go out should wear appropriate clothing and be prepared, Miller said.
"If you do get out, please dress appropriately. Have enough food and water supplies to sustain you for a few hours at least," Miller said.
Interstate 65
A crash at I-65 north near mile marker 91 Briley Parkway is blocking the right lane. It is expected to clear at 4:50 p.m.
The southbound lanes of I-65 near mile marker 55 were shut down earlier.
Staff writer Jill Cowan contributed to this report.
Reach Holly Meyer at 615-259-8241 and on Twitter @HollyAMeyer.