Bridge and road temporarily closed in Columbus after ice causes multiple accidents
Keeping people off the roads is a primary focus as Columbus emergency management officials deal with the winter storm that hit the Chattahoochee Valley on Tuesday.
As of 5 p.m., Columbus received between 1-2 inches of snow, according to AccuWeather, which began falling in the early afternoon hours.
With ice already causing accidents, residents are asked to stay off the roads, Director of Columbus Homeland Security and Emergency Management Chance Corbett told the Ledger-Enquirer.
How Columbus officials prepared
Emergency management began tracking the snow event and receiving daily briefings from the National Weather Service last week, Director of Columbus Homeland Security and Emergency Management Chance Corbett told the Ledger-Enquirer.
They began working with Public Works, Engineering, Public Safety, the Muscogee County School District superintendent and other departments to prepare. The forecast was fluid, and daily briefings helped them decide to take action to reduce traffic on the road all day Tuesday.
One of the models showed Columbus could start receiving snow as early as 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., Corbett said. The snow would stick if it came in faster on Tuesday because of the low temperatures, he said.
The decision to close city offices all day Tuesday was difficult because other models still were showing the snow wouldn’t arrive until the afternoon. If people were out in the streets going to work when the snow fell, Corbett said, it could cause transportation issues.
Chance Corbett
“It was a tough decision and recommendation to the mayor and city manager to go ahead and err on the side of caution and close for the day,” he said. “And then (we can) reevaluate how it actually happens in the city before we make a decision for Wednesday or beyond.”
By Tuesday afternoon, the city decided to close all day Wednesday, according to a news release. There will be no Recorder’s Court hearings Wednesday.
Corbett also conferred with the MCSD superintendent. The school district decided to make Tuesday a virtual learning day, and MCSD announced plans to continue virtual learning Wednesday.
Public Works focused its preparations on ensuring the roads were passable for as long as possible and could recover quickly, Corbett said.
The city worked with the Georgia Department of Transportation to put sand and salt on I-185 and other heavily traveled roads and bridges. These efforts can help the roadways melt quicker, giving drivers more traction, but they will not make them completely safe.
“We realize that if we do get multiple inches, it’s going to get to a point where the roads are going to be impassable,” Corbett said.
Bridge and road closures
The city activated the Emergency Operations Center on Tuesday morning so local agencies and the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency can coordinate, Corbett said.
The 13th Street Bridge over the Chattahoochee River closed temporarily Tuesday after ice led to multiple accidents, Corbett told the Ledger-Enquirer.
GDOT is treating the ice on the bridge. There is not an estimated time for the bridge to reopen, he said. City officials are waiting for GDOT’s call to say the bridge is safe to reopen.
There is also a portion of Transport Boulevard that is closed because of ice. This road also is being treated, Corbett said, and will reopen when that is complete.
The primary concern is that whatever snow falls likely will be here until Thursday, Corbett said.
There’s not going to be a warm day for the snow to melt and runoff, Corbett said. And whatever snow does start melting will freeze again overnight because of the continued low temperatures.
He encourages residents to stay off the roads because they won’t see ditches, curbs or turns.
“Don’t take chances trying to drive on the roadways if we do get a lot of snow because people, obviously, don’t know how to drive in the snow,” Corbett said.
Risks of power outages
There was a low risk of power outages during the winter storm, Corbett said.
This is because the storm wasn’t expected to bring freezing rain to Columbus, he said. Freezing rain hangs on power lines, weighs them down and causes them to snap or pull loose.
Although the chance of this happening with this storm was low, Corbett said, officials remain concerned about any potential power outages.
“People lose power, they lose heat,” he said. “That comes along with the problem too because the temperatures are still going to be low until Thursday.”
Emergency management spoke with assisted living facilities to ensure they had plans in place if power was lost, he said. SafeHouse Ministries is open as a warming shelter where people can go with “no questions asked.”
Residents with questions or problems can call United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley to find more resources at 211 or call the city at 706-225-4300.
“If they have a question, we can answer that and help them in any way we can,” Corbett said.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
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