HCTRA, TxDOT crews pretreating Houston-area roads, elevated structures as precaution to prevent icing

HOUSTON – Harris County Toll Road Authority and TxDOT crews were sent out Thursday to prep Houston-area roads due to potential ice and winter storm warning.

HCTRA has raised its emergency management operational status to Activation Level 3 “Increased Readiness” and will monitor the roadways for hazardous conditions, especially on elevated segments of the tollway. Crews will be staged over the next 24 hours to start anti-icing and deicing operations if dangerous road conditions develop. A response team of trucks are also equipped with bumper-mounted spreaders to treat small accumulations of ice if found.

HCTRA said its overnight crews will access roadway temperature checks on elevated structures and will close any impassable elevated roadways, diverting traffic to service roads until deemed passable.

TxDOT crews will also pretreat various elevated structures throughout the Houston area as a precaution. They will spray a salt/ water mix to prevent icing.

TxDOT will be pretreating the following roads, starting at noon:

• Highway 290
• Highway 6
• State Highway 159
• FM 529
• FM 1458