winter slippery roads (Knoxville, Bristol: buy, maintenance, floors)

[jmac2000]

I've read on this forum that during the winter when the roads become slippery a solution of some sort is applied to the roadway. What exactly would this solution be. Is it corrosive to cars like salt that is used in northern states. Is salt/sand used on Tennessee roadways.

[mbmouse]

I have seen two different things used in East TN to treat the roads when inclement weather is impending. One is the typical salt/fine gravel mixture spread from a typical northern salt truck. The other is a spray of a sodium nitrate liquid that is spread onto the road. But this is still salt and yes, can be corrosive to your vehicle. The difference, is the roads are not treated 3-4 months out of the year and seem perpetual. So it is easier to keep that stuff off your car.
Hope that answers your question.

[hiknapster]

I was told they put lye on the roads. Maybe that is worng. I remembering thinking, "Hmm...I wonder why they don't use that in the northeast." Well, after travelling at 5 a.m. last Thursday, I can tell you that I was not impressed. It didn't seem to work.

[mbmouse]

They put Lye on the Roads in Knoxville? Wow, I haven't heard that. I was talking about Tri-Cities. But am curious as to why the Lye? I am with you hiknapster, can't see the "why" behind that one. Very interesting.

[kar]

Here in the Nashville area they use a liquid salt mixture that they put on the roads right before it snows. Once the snow hits the road it melts right off.

[NealPT]

Originally Posted by jmac2000

I've read on this forum that during the winter when the roads become slippery a solution of some sort is applied to the roadway. What exactly would this solution be. Is it corrosive to cars like salt that is used in northern states. Is salt/sand used on Tennessee roadways.

They put a salt solution on the roads...concentration is 23% from what I've been told.

[artemis]

Yes, they put a brine solution on the roadways. I've not seen any gravel on the roads in Nashville.

By 6am on Friday, 2-2-07, there were multiple wrecks around the city. I decided to ride out the ice storm at home. The last time the roads were this bad (4 inches) it took me 5 hours to travel 15 miles. I learned to drive on the expressways in and around Chicago. Nothing there prepared me for the chaos here. LOL

I work in Williamson County which has NO snow removal equipment at all.

[gemkeeper]

The trick to the use of any ice-melt solution, especially if it contains salt, is to wash your car once the storm event is over. Don't bother doing it right after, like within 24 hrs., because the residue is still on the roads and will just get kicked back up on your car.

Taking your car to a regular car wash is the best way to prevent any salt corrosion to your car or truck. Wait about 4 or 5 days after the roads have cleared and be sure to choose the wash option that washes the undercarriage of your car as well as the painted surface. Your car should be fine then.

Up north the problem lies in the fact that long after the ice has melted off of the roads the salt remains both on the roads and in the snow piles along the roadway. The snow is perpetually melting throughout the winter allowing the salt in it to be constantly rewashing the roadway. Your car is exposed daily for 5 months with salt solution. Very corrosive.

You must wash your car, at least, weekly in that environment or you will see rust and corrosion within 3 or 4 years. People say, "Why should I wash my car it will just get dirty again with the next storm?" The point is to keep the car salt free as many winter days as possible.

We always had a winter car for daily use - a clunker - just so we didn't ruin the newest of our cars in the gunk!

Keep your car clean in TN and I would bet you'll never have a problem!

[Tennesseestorm]

Yeah, like MBMOUSE and GEMKEEPER said down here, its used little (due to much less snow) and as long as the car is washed good (even the undercarriage/wheelwells) after its on your car, there are no problems. Up north, its on the road, on the road and on the road all winter and it stays on the car- gets in the wheelwells, undercarriage, engine bay, etc and hence the ugly rust that you see on alot of northern cars. I once bought a 1994 Chevy Lumina that was originally from northeast Ohio. I did not know it at the time. Appearance wise, it looked fine, but I soon had to look under the car for something and noticed that the car was dreadfully rusty underneath! There was tons of rust scale, which was something I personally had never seen on a car around here before. I know that some surface rust is normal, especially on older cars- not really from salt, but on some without undercoating, just the humidity over time will cause some surface rust, which is OK and no need for alarm, but up north, they get rust scale (which is on its way to rust holes), which is what my car from Ohio had! I later found out that the car was in Ohio from 1994-2001! I then vowed I would NEVER buy another "northern" car. I guess now though and hopefully cars have better rust protection than before. I know some cars are more prone to rust than others... depending upon design/make, etc. I once saw a later model car advertised from Canada that already had rust holes on the floors!

In Bristol they now seem to mostly use that "brine" solution, but occasionally on big hills in the rural areas I have noticed some of the salt chunks on the road. I have never seen gravel spread on the roads here.

[TN Tin Man]

So what tires are used in TN in the winter, all weather-studs-heavy lug style-or chains?

Maintenance Division - Winter Maintenace - Rest Areas - Tennessee Department of Transportation (http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/Chief_Engineer/assistant_engineer_operations/maintenance/WinterMaint.htm - broken link)