TxDOT Crews Prepare Houston Roads for Icy Weather with Brine Treatment

Road Preparation for Freezing Temperatures

• 🛣️ TxDOT crews are actively treating Houston's major freeways and secondary roads ahead of expected freezing temperatures this weekend.
• 💧 The primary method involves spraying a brine solution (a mix of salt and water) onto the pavement.

How Brine Works

• 🔬 Brine lowers the freezing point of water, making it more difficult for moisture on the roads to turn into ice.
• ⚠️ It's important to note that brine does not heat the road and does not make driving risk-free, but it helps slow the formation of ice.

Treatment Areas and Strategy

• 📍 Initial treatments have focused on major routes like I-10 and US-290, with ongoing work on highways such as Highway 6 and FM 1960.
• 🗺️ Treatment areas will expand to include roads further south in Galveston and Brazoria counties, and in Fort Bend County.
• 🔄 TxDOT crews may reapply brine to the same stretches of road multiple times if conditions change.

Alternative Measures and Safety

• 🧊 If ice begins to form, crews can switch to a gravel and salt mix to assist emergency vehicles.
• 🚗 Drivers are reminded to give TxDOT crews space and room to perform their work safely while out on the roads.