When roads get icy, some are more dicey than others to drive.
A question about trouble spots posed to Amarillo road authorities prompted a smattering of road characteristics that contribute to winter travel problems, rather than a specific list of streets and intersections that are consistently difficult to navigate in freezing conditions.
The top answer? Overpasses.
Especially those that span a large distance and have a curve or sloping curve, said Amarillo Police Cpl. Jerry Neufeld.
Overpasses that instantly came to Neufeld's mind:
Interstate 40 over Paramount Boulevard/Julian Boulevard;
The long stretch of I-40 at the Interstate 27 interchange that carries traffic over the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway tracks;
The Ross Street/Mirror Street connector bridge over BNSF tracks that carries traffic from Southeast Third Avenue to Northwest Seventh Avenue
The I-40 bridge east of Amarillo that carries I-40 traffic over the northbound lanes of U.S. 287;
Texas Department of Transportation spokesman Paul Braun also identified the I-40 bridge at U.S. 287 as "a tough one" in slick conditions.
Braun also said:
The I-27 bridge over McCormick Road, south of Amarillo, "seems to be hazardous because of its curve. We're looking at ways to improve that."
Drivers sometimes have extra trouble negotiating the winding transitions of the I-40/I-27 interchange near downtown Amarillo and can have difficulty with the curves of Loop 335, "if they take them too fast."
Washington Street, also known as Farm-to-Market Road 1541, south of Loop 335, can be tricky where it descends into canyon landscape near Camp Don Harrington.
"And of course there are the wide-open stretches on I-40 and I-27 where the wind just blows and blows. That's a visibility situation," Braun said.
Blowing snow conditions can make crews pay special attention to open roadways that are susceptible to drifts, City of Amarillo Assistant Street Superintendent Len Hill said.
Two stretches he named are:
Southwest Ninth Avenue between Soncy Road and Coulter Street; and,
Northeast 24th Avenue between Loop 335 and Whitaker Road.
City crews work continually during winter weather situations to improve traffic safety.
"We concentrate on the bridges that we own, and we sand and salt every lighted intersection in town," Hill said.
For last weekend's snow event, the city kept 10 trucks and two shifts going from 8 p.m. Friday to noon Saturday, Hill said.
Each truck carries about 10 tons of sand and salt- sand for improved traction and salt to melt the ice. Overpasses get a sprinkling of sand and magnesium chloride, a salt-based treatment that is less corrosive, he said.
Braun said TxDOT crews concentrate on highway overpasses, bridges and ramps.
"We try to treat all overpasses and ramps equally because they can all be equally hazardous," he said.
Check the road conditions in your area on the radio, television or Internet before traveling. Stay tuned to local news broadcasts for more information on roadway and weather conditions.
Remove snow and ice from your vehicle before you drive, making sure the headlights and taillights are visible.
Increase your following distance.
Brake gently in slow, steady strokes to see how much traction you have, and begin braking early when approaching intersections or stops.
Approach bridges, shaded spots, overpasses and turns slowly.
Never use cruise control in winter driving conditions.
Use nonfreezing windshield washer liquid.
Use snow tires and/or chains (where allowed).
If you are stranded, call the Texas Department of Public Safety's stranded motorist hotline toll-free at (800) 525-5555.
Source: Texas Department of Transportation
Road condition information
Texas Department of Transportation, (800) 452-9292, www.dot.state.tx.us.
Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, (405) 425-2385 or (888) 425-2385, www.dps.state.ok.us/cgi-bin/weathermap.cgi
New Mexico Department of Transportation, (800) 432-4269, www.nmroads.com/
Kansas Department of Transportation, (866) 511-KDOT (5368), 511.ksdot.org/kanroadpublic/Ksys/KRDefault.asp
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