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Road crews in mid-Michigan are preparing to keep the roads clear amid potential “near-blizzard” conditions in parts of the state over the Thanksgiving travel period.
More than 2.3 million Michigan residents are expected to travel by car for Thanksgiving, according to projections by AAA.
But road crews are prepared to work through the holiday to ensure the streets are clear of snow and ice.
Michigan Department of Transportation spokesperson Aaron Jenkins said the department is fully staffed and will have 24-hour coverage.
Each year, the department uses about 450,000 tons of salt statewide, Jenkins said.
He asked drivers to leave extra time for their commute and give crews plenty of space to keep everyone safe.
“They’re missing time away from their family, and the least you can do is make sure that they’re safe when they’re out there,” Jenkins said.
East Lansing Public Works Director Ron Lacasse said the first major snow of the year can be difficult for drivers and road crews alike.
He said road crews stand ready to serve the community but are always hopeful that there won’t be snow on holidays.
“Our hope is that if we get hit with Thanksgiving this year, that they get Christmas with no snow event so at least they can get one of the holidays,” Lacasse said.
He says the department has been preparing equipment for several weeks and has stockpiled enough salt to last about half the winter.
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