Oklahoma highway winter weather treatment: Here's how ODOT, OTA keep the streets clean of ice and snow

Oklahoma crews have been traveling hundreds of miles to make sure roads are clear and not frozen across the state.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) has about 500 winter weather trucks and the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) has about 100 going up and down highways and tollways all over Oklahoma.

Q: What were Wednesday's road conditions like in Tulsa?

A: Highways and turnpikes were treacherous Wednesday, and speeding drivers caused crash after crash on the slick roads.

On I-44 near the Arkansas river, News On 6 witnessed several crashes, including one involving an OHP vehicle and EMSA ambulance, and several more involving other vehicles.

Q: How many miles do OTA and ODOT treat?

A: OTA crews treat and plow more than 600 turnpike miles, and Oklahoma Department of Transportation crews handle more than 12,000 miles of state highways and interstates.

They pre-treat roads with salt and continue salting and sanding, along with plowing roads until work is complete.

Q: How many trucks do both departments have for winter weather?

A: ODOT has more than 500 winter weather vehicles, and OTA has more than 100, to treat and plow the highways and turnpikes.

Q: Why might a turnpike look different than a highway?

A: ODOT and OTA say turnpikes and highways may look different because of the timing of their crews but say the roads will all be plowed eventually.

Their best advice in the meantime is slow down, stay at least 200 feet behind snowplows when you see them on the roads, and keep a lot of space between other cars.