City of Tulsa, ODOT: Road crews ready for Christmas Day snow

TULSA - Dozens of City of Tulsa workers have been put on standby to clear the roads as soon as the winter storm hits Tuesday, according to officials.

Piled high are thousands of tons of salt and sand. Rigged and ready to go are 62 trucks.

This Christmas Day street workers will be watching the sky and the radar, ready to hit the road as soon as the sleet and snow and begin to fall.

More than 100 employees are on standby ready to work on Christmas night.

Oklahoma Department of Transportation workers are also standing by.

The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority said maintenance workers will begin reporting at 8 p.m. Monday with majority reporting and midnight and working in 12 hour shifts.

The OTA also said it has completed pre-treating all the bridges, overpasses and interchanges in preparation for the winter weather. Currently the authority has on hand more than 35,000 tons of salt, 12,000 tons of sand and more than 88,000 gallons of magnesium chloride.

Additionally, OTA has five graders, 32 loaders, 97 spreaders, 119 plows including two new plows.

Motorists wanting to get the latest on the conditions of the turnpikes are encouraged to call 877-403-7623.

Tulsa city officials ask those driving the roads as crews work to the clear the roads to keep their distance.

"Stay back. Give people enough room to work. They're trying to clear the road to get you home if you're out," City of Tulsa Street Maintenance Operations Manager Leon Kragel said.

Officials are urging motorists, however, to stay home and enjoy a white Christmas.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said in the face of the approaching weather it is concentrating patrols on major thoroughfares such as on the I-40, I-35 and I-44 corridors, as well as heavily traveled turnpikes and state highways.

The OHP stresses that travelers should monitor weather and road conditions, pack a travel kit which includes a can of de-icer, a cell phone and charger, extra clothing for warm, and make vehicles are winter-ready with new wiper blades, proper fluid and good tire tread.

While troopers recommend adjusting speeds to match road and weather conditions, as well as allowing extra room between vehicles while driving, they say motorists encountering trouble may call *55 to contact local OHP Troop Headquarters.