Local road crews are preparing for more winter weather

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Public Works, Missouri Department of Transportation and Boone County Road and Bridge crews were treating roads throughout the day Wednesday and plan to have night crews on standby as needed.

Radar images showed a wintry mix falling throughout Mid-Missouri by Wednesday afternoon. The wintry mix was expected to continue moving east through the area.

MoDOT and Boone County Road and Bridge crews said they have plenty of salt to last them for the expected weather for this week.

"We're doing pretty good," said Richard Skelton with MoDOT. "I mean we can make it a couple more storms as long as they're not major storms."

Skelton said local MoDOT crews can get more supplies from Jefferson City and the Lake of the Ozarks if needed.

As winter weather has hit Columbia and Boone County in back to back weeks, road crews are treating roads on 12-hour shifts.

"It feels good to get the roads clear so people can travel and stay safe, but overall it just gets tiring," said Michael Nickens, a Boone County Road and Bridge crew member. "Twelve hours and you work all week and then comes the weekend ... another 12 hours those days, too. You get pretty exhausted."

A larger system is expected to hit Mid-Missouri on Thursday and Friday. The ABC 17 News Stormtrack Weather team has issued a Weather Alert Day for Thursday and Friday.

Before traveling check the roads you plan to travel on MoDOT'S traveler's map.

Check back for more updates on this developing story here and ABC 17 newscasts at 5 and 6.