INDOT works to prepare bypass for wind and snow

With possible white out conditions expected Tuesday night, the Indiana Department of Transportation is working to make the bypass in Elkhart County as safe as possible.

Nichole Hacha-Thomas, the media director of the Northeast District of INDOT said while severe winter weather is nothing Michiana hasn't seen before, the extra wind can present unique challenges for the bypass.

High winds can blow salt off the roads.

Even after the road has been plowed, snow can blow back onto the roads.

INDOT has their plow trucks ready for the snowfall, and while weather is unpredictable, they do their best to monitor it.

Hacha-Thomas says INDOT treats the bypass with the same attention as any other road, and drivers should do the same.

"We treat all of our roads with the same diligence regardless of whether they're a bypass or otherwise, and when motorists take their time and adjust their driving to the conditions, the bypass isn't different than any other road in the area," Hacha-Thomas said.

When it comes down to it, INDOT says the best way to drive safely is to drive slowly.

Leave extra time to get where you're going so you don't feel the need to rush.

"The most important thing is that no one should be traveling at highway speeds on any road when it's snowing or there is potential for ice," Hacha-Thomas said.
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