Date:  Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Contact: WSDOT Communications, 206-440-4788 or 206-437-6314 (Seattle)
WSDOT Communications, 509-945-4584 (Yakima)

SEATTLE – The snow has passed, the skies are clear and now cold temperatures are moving in. Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) maintenance crews are preparing for icy conditions in Puget Sound by applying anti-icing material on dry roads and salt on wet roads throughout the afternoon and evening.

“The salt and anti-icer will prevent ice from forming on the road when the temperatures dip below freezing,” said Dave McCormick, WSDOT Assistant Regional Administrator for Maintenance and Operations.

WSDOT Incident Response teams, including pickup trucks equipped with new mini-sanders, will monitor Puget Sound roads throughout the evening. The I-5 express lanes will run in the northbound direction until 11 p.m., then switch to the southbound direction at midnight to prepare for the Thursday morning commute.

Conditions at Snoqualmie Pass are snowy. Chains are required on all vehicles with the exception of all-wheel drive.

WSDOT offers several ways to get up-to-date travel and road condition information before you leave home or the office.

• Look at weather forecasts and road temperatures throughout the state.
• Check out statewide traffic conditions, including construction delays and highway incidents.
• Check mountain pass forecasts and find winter driving tips

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