Most roads, highways still open in North Texas as arctic front drops ice, snow in area
North Texans awakened Thursday morning to sleet and snow, but state officials said most roads and highways in the area remained “passable.”
But officials still encouraged residents to stay off highways, and drive if only it’s an emergency.
The National Weather Service shared photos taken between 11 a.m. and noon Thursday that showed treacherous road conditions in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and advised residents to avoid travel if at all possible.
Fort Worth police said early Thursday that there had been a small number of traffic accidents with a juvenile taken to a hospital in one wreck.
In Dallas County, the driver of an 18-wheeler died in a crash on a highway ramp in downtown Dallas late Wednesday, according to news reports.
The semi-truck was going southbound on Interstate 45 when it crashed at about 9:55 p.m. Wednesday along the bridge over eastbound Interstate 30, according to the KXAS-TV.
The driver of the truck, whose name was not released, was ejected from the cab and found dead on I-30 lanes below.
The 18-wheeler was the only vehicle involved. Investigators were working to determine what caused the wreck.
The driver’s dog also was found dead.
Fort Worth police have responded to several stranded drivers on highways and roads, most of them getting vehicles stuck in ice. Officers were on the scene of at least seven such calls in less than an hour just after 7 a.m.
Stranded motorists also were being reported in Dallas County.
WFAA-TV reported a charter bus was stranded Thursday morning on an overpass at northbound Interstate 35E at Spur 366 in Downtown Dallas as sleet and snow moved through the area. The bus has been removed and the ramp was reopened.
“We’ve received a lot of precipitation overnight,” said Val Lopez with the Texas Department of Transportation in the Fort Worth District Office on Thursday. “But we’ve had only light traffic on roads and highways, and we hope it stays that way.”
The Fort Worth District includes nine counties, about 9,000 miles of roads and highways and more than 2,300 bridges and overpasses.
As of 6 a.m. Thursday, drivers could get through roads and highways even in counties northwest of Tarrant County where ice and snow accumulations were heavier.
“Because conditions can change and deteriorate rapidly, people are encouraged to stay home, stay off the roads, and delay travel when possible, said Shawna Russell with the Texas Department of Transportation in the Fort Worth District Office in a Thursday news release. “If drivers must be on the road, we urge them to be aware, stay alert, drive to conditions, and exercise extreme caution. They should leave extra space between their vehicle and others on the road, and allow extra time to reach their destination if travel cannot be avoided.”
Lopez said trucks that had been out early Thursday continued to plow highways, trying to keep ice and snow off the roads.
“There’s slush on the highways,” Lopez said. “We have to deal with a forecast that is calling for freezing temperatures today.”
Snow and ice is expected to stick around on roads Friday as temperatures will remain cold.
Lopez said the highways and roads had been treated since Sunday, which continued until Wednesday night.
The company that owns the Interstate 35W toll road that was the site of a deadly pileup a year ago closed the managed lanes in Dallas-Fort Worth ahead of the winter storm.
“The entire DFW Managed Lane System is being closed due to the impending severe winter weather storm,” NTE Mobility Partners spokesperson Robert Hinkle said in a Wednesday email. “In coordination with TxDOT, we closed the managed lanes throughout the region so that we can focus our efforts and resources on the main lanes of travel.”
A spokesperson for TxDOT’s Fort Worth region said it’s unclear how long the toll lanes will remain closed.
Information on road conditions throughout the state may be found at: www.drivetexas.org; TxDOT Road Conditions 24 Hour Hotline: 1-800-452-9292 and www.TxDOT.gov Keyword: Winter Weather.
This story was originally published February 3, 2022 at 7:14 AM.
