Special to The Hays Daily News

Stocked and ready to go, the Kansas Department of Transportation is prepared to battle the elements of winter when Mother Nature strikes.

"Fortunately, last winter was, on average, relatively mild, and this helped us and our suppliers recover our salt reserves," said Peter Carttar, KDOT assistant bureau chief of construction and maintenance. "And we have shops throughout the state where we can deploy trucks when there's inclement weather."

KDOT is responsible for maintaining almost 10,000 miles of roadway on the state highway system, which consists of interstate, Kansas and U.S. routes. Technology and roadway pre-treating materials will help the agency stay ahead of potential storms.

The computer road weather information system used by KDOT provides pavement-specific weather forecasts, current temperature and condition of the pavement, as well as radar and satellite imagery. Supervisors in the field use forecasts and other weather tools to deploy maintenance personnel as effectively and efficiently as possible.

Also, many KDOT maintenance vehicles are equipped with infrared pavement temperature sensors, which allow workers to monitor pavement conditions while they are on the road.

"We are in a tight economy, so we will be paying close attention to conserving our resources, using them wisely at the right time and place," said Carttar. "However, roadway maintenance during adverse weather conditions will be our top priority."

KDOT works to stay ahead of the storm by preventing snow and ice from bonding to the pavement. To do this, KDOT routinely has used salt brine on its roadways for snow and ice control since 1998.

"Pre-treating with salt brine helps to minimize the impact of winter storms for motorists," said Carttar. "Salt brine gets into the pores of the pavement where it sits until needed. Plus, it can't be blown off by wind or traffic."

Salt brine is cost-effective and can be applied during normal working hours before a storm hits and can stay on the road several days. It is a liquid made from granulated rock salt that is sprayed on pavement.

Motorists also play an important role in enhancing safety before traveling. KDOT reminds motorists to inspect and winterize their vehicles, allow extra time to travel, drive attentively and to wear their safety belts.

Also before traveling, motorists should be informed about weather and road conditions. Call 511 anytime from any phone in Kansas or (866) 511-KDOT (5368) from anywhere in the U.S. to find out about the latest driving conditions for the Kansas Turnpike and any interstate, U.S. or state highway in Kansas and Nebraska. Phone numbers for road conditions in other states surrounding Kansas are also provided. Information is provided free from a landline phone; however, for cellular phone users, cell minutes might apply but there should be no roaming fee. For everyone's safety, do not call 511 while driving.

Road information also can be obtained by visiting the 511 Travel Information Map at 511.ksdot.org that now includes 33 camera and 25 electronic message sign views across the state. The 511 map also provides links to other information, such as closed roads and driving conditions lists, travel information for other states and more. These and additional traveler information can be viewed by visiting KDOT's new traveler information portal, KanDrive, at www.KanDrive.org.

Travelers also can use their handheld mobile devices, such as Smartphones or Blackberries to access a text report for construction project information by visiting 511mm.ksdot.org.