INDOT prepares for snow on first day of winter

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - With the first measurable snow coming in Friday morning, the Indiana Department of Transportation said it's been ready for for a couple months.

"We've been ready since October when we had all of our vehicles checked and serviced, and ready to go," said INDOT spokesperson, Mary Foster. "Our drivers have taken training, they're certified, so they're ready to go."

Foster said their new salt storage holds tons of salt and is currently over 100 percent capacity. INDOT's Fort Wayne District has 168 trucks ready for deployment and 144 snow routes across northeast Indiana. Crews have measures in place to keep ahead of the storm to prepare.

"We're following multiple weather services, we got people out on the roads, they're checking it," Foster said. "We have the detectors in the roads that goes back to a computer system that tell what the temperature of the pavement is."

Foster said drivers will have to use extra precaution during their morning commute, but said during the drive, it's best to stay behind a truck, but with plenty of distance.

"You know what's behind the snow plow, because he's already cleared the road there. What's in front of the snow plow, you don't know what's there."

INDOT said slow down, break early, and keep your distance, and people will get to where they're going safety.