Little Rock, Arkansas – The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) is preparing for the upcoming winter season with a major training exercise designed to help road maintenance crews respond quickly and safely when snow and ice affect highways across the state.
The exercise is scheduled for Tuesday, October 27, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in central Arkansas. It will bring together members of ARDOT’s Winter Weather Strike Team and several district maintenance crews from different parts of the state.
During the eight-hour drill, workers will practice operating snowplow trucks, inspect equipment, review assigned routes and test communication procedures used during winter emergencies.
ARDOT will also activate its Emergency Operations Center for the exercise, allowing participating crews to practice sharing information and coordinating their response to simulated winter conditions.
The goal is to identify potential problems and make sure employees and equipment are prepared before freezing temperatures, snow or ice create dangerous driving conditions.
Snowplow crews will practice responding to simulated winter conditions
According to ARDOT, the training will allow employees to experience many of the tasks they would perform during an actual winter storm.
Drivers will attach snowplows and salt spreaders to their vehicles, test equipment on the road and become familiar with the routes they may be assigned to clear.
The Winter Weather Strike Team consists of field employees drawn from maintenance crews across Arkansas. These workers provide additional support when severe winter weather requires a larger response.
Deric Wyatt, ARDOT State Maintenance Engineer, explained that the exercise is intended to help crews work together effectively before winter conditions arrive.
“The drill gives our crews the opportunity to respond to a simulated winter weather event by hooking up all the snowplows and salt spreaders and getting familiar with their assigned routes before there is snow and ice on the ground,” Deric Wyatt, ARDOT State Maintenance Engineer, said. “When the whole team goes into the winter season working from the same game plan, we can do the job safely and efficiently. At the end of the day our goal is for everyone to make it to their destination and back home safely to their friends and family.”
During real winter emergencies, strike team members assist other maintenance employees with removing snow and ice from interstates and major highways.
These operations can continue around the clock, with crews working in 24-hour operations to improve road conditions and restore safer travel.
Employees also provide updates about roadway conditions to ARDOT’s Maintenance Division at its Central Office in Little Rock.
Arkansas maintains more than 600 snowplows and large salt supplies
Equipment preparation is another important part of ARDOT’s winter weather strategy.
The department maintains more than 600 snowplows stationed at County Maintenance Headquarters and District Offices throughout Arkansas.
These vehicles are used to clear roads and help keep major transportation routes accessible during periods of snow and ice.
ARDOT also stores approximately 80,000 tons of salt at facilities across the state.
The department operates 116 salt storage facilities, which are replenished during the summer months to ensure supplies are available when winter begins.
Keeping these locations stocked ahead of time allows maintenance crews to access materials without waiting for additional deliveries during severe weather.
Beyond the October 27 exercise, ARDOT conducts preparedness meetings throughout the year to review its winter response plans.
The department also regularly tests winter weather features available through IDriveArkansas.com, which provides information about road conditions to motorists.
These preparations are intended to improve communication between field crews and transportation officials while helping the public make informed travel decisions.
ARDOT Director Jared Wiley emphasized that keeping roads open during winter storms requires extensive planning and dedication from transportation employees.
“When winter weather strikes, the men and women of ARDOT put their lives on hold until the roads are clear and the public is moving again,” ARDOT Director Jared Wiley said. “ARDOT’s successes are not coincidental. Our teams plan, practice, and ready equipment ahead of time so that when mother nature threatens, we are ready to go.”
The upcoming training exercise will give Arkansas transportation crews an opportunity to test their readiness before winter weather creates real challenges on the state’s highways.
By checking vehicles, practicing emergency procedures and reviewing communication systems, ARDOT aims to ensure its teams are prepared to respond efficiently while protecting both workers and motorists.
