DETROIT (WXYZ) — Metro Detroit drivers faced slow and messy commutes Wednesday as snow created hazardous road conditions throughout the region.
Watch Tiarra Braddock's video report:
I spoke with drivers who had to navigate through the snow Wednesday morning, and many described challenging conditions.
"The roads were bad this morning. They were really bad — they were awful," Regina Huffman said.
John Clark, another Detroit resident, offered advice for those unfamiliar with winter driving conditions.
"I would say if you aren't use to it, stay where you can. This is one of those days where if you think you have a truck, you can still slide, you can still get into an accident," Clark said.
Road crews across metro Detroit have been working continuously to address the conditions. Craig Bryson, spokesperson for the Road Commission for Oakland County, said crews have been operating around the clock.
"We have been in around the clock almost the entire last month with maybe two days off, so we had crews in around the clock beefed up to the full contingent somewhere around 2 or 3 (o'clock) in the morning," Bryson said.
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The extremely cold weather has made salt treatment less effective on roadways, creating additional challenges for maintenance crews.
"It's kind of an ironic thing, but we need traffic to make the salt work and to warm up the roads, but too much traffic, obviously, slows the traffic down and we can't get through, so we need that sweet spot of just enough traffic to make the salt work," Bryson said.
Wayne County Department of Public Services also deployed crews early Wednesday morning. Deputy Director Scott Cabauatan said they shifted from salt-only operations to full plowing.
"We went from a salting-only operation to a salt-and-plow operation, so we have been plowing. A lot of the big trucks have the big plows on them," Cabauatan said.
The recent back-to-back snowstorms have taken a toll on road maintenance crews who have been working continuously for weeks.
"Our people have been out around the clock for over a month now, so we want to get them some rest if Mother Nature will cooperate," Bryson said.
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