Cities Being Proactive As Winter Weather Threatens Green County

Winter weather is moving into Green Country, with the threat of cold temperatures and the possibility of some snow flurries.

To stay ahead of the freezing rain threat, some cities are being proactive. Owasso has already started spraying a pre-treatment mixture on the most traveled roads in town.

Owasso has been using what's called a brine solution to pre-treat roads for about five years; this year, the City of Tulsa has the equipment to do the same.

Before the roads could get wet and icy, street crews in Owasso jumped into action, spraying a salt and water mixture called brine.

Owasso Public Works Director Roger Stevens, said, "And that's the big thing, getting ahead of the storm. Many years ago, you would activate a crew once the event started."

But the treatment only works on dry roads.

The water helps the salt stick to the ground. 

Years before, salt was the only option, but high winds could blow it all away.

"It's very effective. Like I said, we've been utilizing this treatment, this brine treatment, for at least five years,” Stevens said.

Untreated roads can be a danger to the people who travel them.

Bridges and overpasses are treated first, then, the most traveled roads.

To keep drivers safe, Stevens said they constantly monitor the weather.

"We watch channel 6 to see when the event is going to arrive, and we have people on standby, some who are just watching the radar," he said.

The City of Tulsa has brine trucks, too, now, but won't activate them until January.

Street Maintenance Manager Tim McCorkell looks forward to using the brine trucks.

"It's more cost effective because when you put salt, it's straight salt. The brine, it's salt and water, so you don't have to use as much of the salt," McCorkell said.

The brine treatment keeps the freezing water or rain from bonding to the surface.

McCorkell said, "That's not to say you still won't get that snow or ice buildup on there. But when we're completing our operations it helps us get all the way down to the roadway to better get the ice off there.”

Experts said the brine solution won't do away with the need to use salt trucks, but when it's time to plow, it'll be easier to get it all up.