Harsh Winter Storm Leaves North Carolina Roads Icy

North Carolina winter storm could affect roads in the long-term.

A harsh North Carolina ice storm left roads in Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro and other NC cities, icy and difficult to drive on last week. While some North Carolina cities began clearing the precipitation immediately, others delayed plowing to give the ice time to soften.

The thick frozen sleet and ice left a mess on asphalt, making it difficult for North Carolina residents to utilize the roads. A worker at the Greensboro field operations department said that plows don’t help much if sleet and ice are frozen solid, as they were last week, according to News & Record.

Due to below freezing temperatures, some cities didn’t have much choice besides giving the packed sleet and ice some time to run its course. Greensboro used 900 tons of its 3,000-ton salt supply on last week’s winter storm, though the field operations department stated that salt is only effective when temperatures are above 15 degrees Fahrenheit.

Many North Carolina businesses also experienced frozen parking lots that made it more difficult for customers to access their building. While city roads were plowed over the course of a few days, some parking lots had sleet and ice hanging around for several additional days.

Will this storm affect the quality of North Carolina roads in the future?

Extended exposure to severe elements and frigid temperatures could cause permanent damage to North Carolina asphalt roads and, especially, parking lots.

Now that the ice and sleet have cleared, and it has been nearly a week since last week’s storm, damage to the roads may begin to show. Exposure to these rare winter elements could very well have caused new potholes and cracks to emerge on roads and in parking lots.

And, just as roads started to clear, this week’s snowstorm and sudden changes in temperature could cause even further damage to the asphalt.

In the coming months, it will be imperative for North Carolina cities and businesses to assess the damage and create a plan for crack-filling, patching and asphalt repair for their roads and parking lots.

Contact Raleigh Paving Today

Have your North Carolina city’s roads or parking lots suffered from the recent winter weather? Raleigh Paving services customers in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Greensboro, Winston-Salem and surrounding North Carolina areas. Call on us for all of your asphalt repair needs. We are even happy to help you apply sealcoating to prevent damage like this next year. Contact us today to learn more!