The City of Wichita has been working since Monday in preparation for this weekend’s possible ice storm.
Public Works director Alan King said at a briefing Thursday that trucks have been depositing a brine solution onto streets to reduce the amount of ice that can accumulate. A salt-sand mix will be added to roads once the storm hits.
“We're not 100% sure what's going to happen, but we’re preparing for the worst," King said.
He said there will be some risk for drivers until trucks can lay the salt-sand mix down on all 1500 lane miles of road.
“These events can sometimes happen over a large area fairly quickly," King said. "It all of a sudden freezes, and that’s one of the most difficult events to respond to, and it’s the most dangerous for our traveling public.”
The National Weather Service has issued an ice storm warning for Wichita effective Friday at 6 p.m. through Sunday at noon. The city is urging residents to evaluate the risk before traveling anywhere this weekend.
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