CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) — Crews from the West Virginia Division of Highways are treating roads in the state to prepare for upcoming winter weather.

The West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) has more than 1,000 trucks with plows across the state that can also spread salt. In order for the trucks to be on the roads 24 hours a day, the trucks have drivers for both a 12-hour day shift, and a 12-hour night shift.

As always, we are prepared for any snowfall event. We attack each storm with the same level of importance of having every available truck on the road.

Joe Pack | P.E. WVDOH Chief Engineer of District Operations

To keep the roadways as clear and safe as possible, snowplow drivers with the WVDOH will be on the roads, and will be clearing the roads as long as snow is falling. According to Pack, for wintry mix weather events the WVDOH uses salt mixed with a higher amount of stone.

As the abrasives are applied at a higher rate on the roadway, it does not allow the ice sheet to form a solid. It forms around that small rock and as the traffic drives over it, it cracks. The cracking allows the salt solution to penetrate the ice, melting it from underneath.

Joe Pack | P.E. WVDOH Chief Engineer of District Operations

The WVDOH has a supply of over 231,000 tons of salt across the state, and typically, a snowplow can hold 12 tons of salt. This amount of salt can treat approximately 100 lane miles of road, which equals around 25 miles of four-lane or 50 miles of two-lane roads.

During winter weather events, drivers are reminded to be careful, slow down around snowplows, not to pass the truck, and to give the snowplow drivers space on the roads.