Winter Driving Safety: Bridges Freeze First | WeatherBug
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Winter Driving Safety: Bridges Freeze First

December 6, 2021
By WeatherBug's Intern Meteorologist, Christopher Smith
Driving during the winter can often mean slick roads. However, one type of road is the most dangerous. Let’s look at bridges and how to stay safe when encountering them during your winter travel.

Bridges can be the most dangerous part of a trip when travelling during the winter. Due to a bridge’s elevated surface, they usually freeze first before regular roadways. Even if you encounter wet roadways throughout a trip, once reaching a bridge, the wet-looking surface of the bridge may be ice.

So why exactly do bridges freeze first? Again, it’s due to their elevated surface. Not sitting on the ground, the bridge can be surrounded by cold air. If the air is close to or below freezing, it will immediately freeze water on the bridge, unlike regular roadways that are insulated a bit from the warmer ground temperatures.

There are a couple of tactics to use to stay as safe as possibly when encountering an icy bridge. First, slow down to a manageable speed before crossing the bridge. Driving fast across ice can cause spinouts and injury or even death. In addition, make sure to avoid slamming on the brakes or the risk of losing traction is higher. It’s better to let the foot off the gas if wanting to slow down once on an icy bridge than slamming on the brakes. Finally, look for dry, sunny spots in the roadway. Shady, wet spots are much more likely to be icy.

When travelling out this winter and if there are cold temperatures and any wet surfaces, remember that bridges may be much icier than surrounding roads. Be prepared and follow a couple of key steps to ensure safety on the road this winter.

Source: weather.gov
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