CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – The Clarksville Street Department activated equipment and personnel to battle the wintry mix of ice and snow that hit the area.
City offices will open at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Mayor Joe Pitts announced after a conference call with City department heads at 8:30 p.m. Monday. All essential personnel were to be on the job as usual on Tuesday.
City Court will begin on Tuesday at 10 a.m.
Street Department officials said that the department had dump trucks fitted with snow plows and salt boxes on the streets at 9 p.m. Monday.
The National Weather Service said a system moved in Monday bringing rain that turned into a mix of freezing rain and snow. Snow accumulations up to one inch are possible.
The Street Department has tons of salt on hand to distribute on City streets as required. Salt is stored at the Street Department Headquarters on 10th Street, at a facility in St. Bethlehem, and at a smaller depot on Ringgold Road in North Clarksville.
In Clarksville, most of the main roads — Wilma Rudolph Boulevard, Madison Street and Fort Campbell Boulevard, for example — are state highways, with snow removal managed by the Tennessee Department of Transportation. Regional TDOT equipment first deploys to clear Interstate 24 and then moves to state highways.
The Clarksville Street Department focuses first on City thoroughfares and hilly areas and then spreads its efforts to subdivisions and residential streets.
Clarksville Transit System will continue its regular route service for as long as possible, but if road conditions worsen, it will implement a “snow routes” plan, whereby buses avoid hilly areas and stay on the main roads. Riders should check www.rideCTS.com or the CTS Facebook page for updates.
Montgomery County Government offices will also open two hours later than normal operating hours on Tuesday, Nov. 12 due to road conditions related to the inclement weather.
Montgomery County Mayor Durrett made the decision to open late at 8:26 p.m. Monday, after communicating with the leadership from the Highway Department as well as Emergency Medical Services and the Emergency Management Agency and driving some of the County roads earlier in the evening.
“The mix of snow and freezing rain along with the freezing temperatures have made some roads difficult to navigate. We want to provide employees with additional time to travel for their safety and we ask that all residents drive cautiously,” said Mayor Durrett.
The opening of County offices varies from 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. and will open accordingly. All offices are expected to be open by 10 a.m.
Clarksville Montgomery County Schools are monitoring road conditions this evening and into early morning hours. An announcement on schools should be made by 5 a.m. Tuesday, according to a message to parents.