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Kent Co. road crews limiting use of de-icing due to low temps

90 employees showed up Friday morning at 6 a.m. and will work 12 hours to clear the streets before 40 employees show up at 6 p.m. Friday night to continue.

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — The Kent County Road Commission says crews have been out since Thursday night working to clear roads, but visibility is making it difficult.

"In spots, you can see pavement but there is ice on top of that pavement so folks need to slow down," said Jerry Byrne, Deputy Managing Director of Operations for the Kent County Road Commission

Byrne says his department is fully staffed with day and night crews throughout the holiday weekend to respond to changing conditions.

90 employees showed up Friday morning at 6 a.m. and will work 12 hours to clear the streets before 40 employees show up at 6 p.m. Friday night to continue.

Byrne said despite it being a holiday, crews will continue to work until they get the roads how they want them to be.

"It's tough on their families, probably harder on their families than it is on the employee when mom or dad are gone," he said.

Byrne said often many people ask why road crews are not de-icing the roads, but the reality is cold temperatures make it not useful.

"Anything we put down will probably make conditions worse, as it refreezes with the wind chill so the goal is to get through everything once in the next 12 to 18 hours," Byrne said.

Byrne said you can lay down salt and or sand, but it takes a lot to be effective in below freezing temperatures.

"You can make it work if you want to put enough down, but it's just going to refreeze and make ice and so the issue was effectively it does not work so we're not going to do it," he said.

The road commission reminds drivers if you are experiencing emergency road issues, like downed trees blocking the road, to call or text 911.

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