LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – You may have seen signs on the interstate that read “Bridges freeze before road.”
This is an important concept to keep in mind during the winter months, but why is that??
24% of weather related accidents happened on slushy, icy or snow covered roadway.
Over 1,300 people are killed and 116,000 are injured on wintry rows annually across the U.S.
Wintry road maintenance also counts for about 20% of a state’s Department of Transportation budget, meaning it takes a lot of money to try to keep those roads safe.
Something we see here in the state of Michigan quite often are bridges and overpasses creating unsafe driving conditions. Roadways hold heat differently than a bridge does because the roadway has the soil underneath to continue to warm it. So as the road temperature starts to fall, it doesn’t fall quite as fast.
Bridges don’t have soil underneath them, so the cold air comes rushing under it.
Bottom line is when temperatures are below freezing you better believe that the bridges and overpasses are unsafe.
