AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Ahead of this weekend’s expected ice storm, the Georgia Department of Transportation says crews have made progress treating state roads in our area.

Georgia and South Carolina have declared states of emergency as a major winter storm threatens to impact roughly 177 million people across half the country.

As of 10 a.m. Saturday, brine solution has been applied to about 80% of routes in the treatment plan, according to GDOT.

All state routes north of Interstate 20 have been treated. Crews finished treating I-20 and I-520 overnight.

Crews will continue working throughout the day on Saturday to treat state routes south of I-20.

“We’ll be from 7 to 7, we’ll be a 12-hour shift,” said Johnny Marshall, a GDOT driver.

Marshall’s first assignment for GDOT was last year’s snowstorm. This time around, crews are brining to prepare for an ice storm.

The brine trucks are heading straight for I-20, where they’ll cover every lane from the state line to Atlanta.

“We’re gonna keep brining until the hazardous icy conditions show up, and once it becomes icy, we might look at doing things differently, we might bring out the plows and salt the roads,” Marshall said.

If everything goes according to plan, crews will be working Friday night, Saturday night, Sunday night and Monday night, Marshall said.

Richmond County officials are working with GDOT to prepare local roads. County crews are monitoring bridges and overpasses, which tend to freeze first. Officials said they will likely start Saturday with salting parts of the county.

For safety reasons, Georgia DOT crews will not clear debris from the roadway until daylight arrives on Sunday.

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The brine mixture of salt and water helps de-ice roads. In this region, it’s typically applied as a preventative about a day before precipitation starts falling, and then it’s applied again later to melt the ice. Trucks must travel 40 mph to properly apply the treatment, so drivers are urged to pay attention and stay back at least 100 feet.

Crews will focus on interstates first, followed by high-priority state routes, including U.S. 1, U.S. 25, U.S. 441, State Route 540, and State Route 17 from Wrens to the Wilkes/Elbert County line.

The Georgia Department of Transportation applies the brine to state highways, bridges and interstates, while local governments are in charge of local roads.

Lessons from 2014 ice storm

Brining has been a big emphasis since the ice storm of 2014, which left many people stranded on interstates, where they abandoned their cars. Leaders decided not to let it happen again.

More than 1,900 GDOT workers will pre-treat some 50,000 miles of state and interstate roadways. They’ll use an estimated 76,310 tons of salt and around 2 million gallons of brine.

After that unforgettable snowstorm in 2014 — aptly nicknamed “Snowmageddon” — the transportation department and state government learned a lot.

They weren’t using brine prior to that and were hardly pretreating roads ahead of winter storms.

“When your state becomes a ‘Saturday Night Live’ skit following a storm situation, everyone has to come to the table to make sure that that does not happen again,” said Natalie Dale, spokesperson for GDOT. “We didn’t have brine in Snowmageddon, we didn’t use road weather information sensor technology the way we do, we did not have a statewide activation plan where we move our teams around the state as they’re needed.”

Now, communication and cooperation between state and local crews is vastly more streamlined, and pretreating with brine has become normal practice.

The system’s behavior is still unclear, but GDOT is anticipating the worst.

“We’re all going to Monday morning quarterback it when it’s over and say, well, it wasn’t that serious, but we can’t plan like that,” said Dale. “We can’t plan like it may not be that serious. We have to plan like this is going to be the worst-case scenario.”

South Carolina preparations

The South Carolina Department of Transportation is treating roads as winter weather approaches the state this weekend.

Earlier this week, trucks were dropping loads of salt on busy roadways as ice accumulation could reach up to half an inch in some areas of the state.

Although driving is not advised, pre-treating with salt is crucial in getting ahead of the dangerous conditions.

The agency is also staffing up for debris management this weekend due to fallen limbs and expected power outages.

Tony Magwood with SCDOT said the ice storm brings a different preparation strategy than a snow event.

“An ice event is very much different from a snow event. While we prepare for both, an ice event represents more,” Magwood said.

As the weather event starts, Magwood said crews will begin using sand in combination with brine.

The agency said its top priority is keeping roads and bridges open and accessible, especially for first responders and other essential travel needs.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation had nearly 4,000 employees positioned across the state.

The agency said it has 60,000 tons of salt and 1,200 pieces of equipment staged strategically across the state, ready to be deployed where it’s needed most.

Driving in icy weather

Highway crews aren’t the only ones who need to be prepared this weekend. If − against all advice − you have to travel in the icy weather, officials say there are some things to keep in mind.

“It doesn’t hurt to pack an emergency kit. The roads could become really, really dangerous. And if they are, there’s a chance you could get stranded. If you’re stranded, you want to have emergency supplies in your car. I think non-perishable food, water, things that can keep you warm like blankets, extra clothing, flashlight to make yourself visible,” said Will Volk, GDOT District 2 communications officer.

Public safety officials in Aiken County said Thursday that those who must travel in icy roads should try to take the main thoroughfares and stay off secondary streets. And practice patience, they said.

Other tips:

• Be careful walking and especially driving on ice, including potential black ice.
• If it is absolutely necessary to travel during a winter storm, slow down, increase your following distance, and stay alert.
• In case of a minor collision without injuries, move your vehicle off the roadway and call law enforcement.
• Ensure family or friends know your traveling plans, specifically where you’re going and the approximate time of arrival.
• Have a full tank of gas.
• Wear your seat belt.
• Use your blinkers and drive safely.
• Always use your judgment behind the wheel.
• Bring hats, gloves, a balaclava, earmuffs and a scarf to protect your face from the bitter cold.
• Tires should be inspected to ensure they are properly inflated and have sufficient tread depth.
• Make sure your car battery is charged. Check with your local mechanic or visit AAA to make sure your car has a good battery.
• Don’t use cruise control in precipitation and freezing temperatures.
• Keep your phone charged and keep a portable charger with you.
• Equip your vehicle with a snow shovel, scraper, and some warm clothing and blankets.
• Check washer fluid and anti-freeze to ensure they are at adequate levels.
• Make sure to get some bags of salt if it gets icy on the sidewalks and roads.
• Drive slowly and smoothly. Avoid sudden hard acceleration, braking, or steering. With antilock brakes, use steady pressure – don’t pump. Pumping disables the antilock brakes and makes a skid more likely.
• Watch for icy surfaces on bridges and intersections, even if the rest of the road seems to be in good condition.
• If you get stuck in snow or ice, straighten the wheel, and accelerate slowly. Add sand, traction mats, or cat litter under the drive wheels to help avoid spinning the tires.
• If you’re stalled, remain in your vehicle where rescuers are most likely to find you. Do not set out on foot unless you can see a building close by where you know you can take shelter.
• Don’t idle for a long time with the windows up or in an enclosed space.
• If your tires lose traction and you begin to skid, continue to look, and steer in the direction you want to go. If the drive wheels start to spin or slide while going up a hill, ease off the accelerator slightly and then gently resume speed.
• Keep your hazard lights on if you’re stuck on the side of the road.

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