Muskogee County Crews Preparing For Icy Roads

Muskogee County officials are concerned they could get a little bit of everything on Wednesday. City crews say they are preparing for rain, snow, and ice.

Managers say roads with more traffic like Main Street as well as bridges and overpasses will be the first they treat. They say though they've been through this before they are preparing for the worst.

“When you do have a big one you just roll with the punches,” says Muskogee Commissioner Kenny Payne.

Payne says his crews have their sand and plows ready to treat over 400 miles over roads.

“In Muskogee, we have a lot of hills and deep grades so we will try and make that passable for people. Paying particular attention to early in the morning,” said Payne .  

Payne says commissioners plan to use over 220 tons of sand across the country. But with the possibility of rain, ice and snow in Muskogee's forecast he says timing is essential when treating roads.

"If you put your materials down too early, the wind or the rain will wash them away before they can be effective so we try to catch it at just the right time," said Payne.

Emergency managers say roads like Hancock road, are known to break down quickly, so their warning, if a road seems okay, that could all change in minutes.

Emergency management director Jeff Smith says secondary roads such as neighborhoods and side streets will not be treated. He says if you don't have to drive stay home.

“Any secondary roads that aren’t state highways or main thorough fairs, those roads are going to be the worst and have ice on them the longest,” says Smith.

Smith says they will have up to 70 crew members on the streets by the morning. He says he will be keeping track of the weather hour by hour throughout the morning to make sure they stay on top of when the rain could turn to ice.