INDIANAPOLIS — As a winter weather warning moves into central Indiana this weekend, Indianapolis Department of Public Works crews are working around the clock to keep roads safe and residents are hunkering down.
DPW is operating under 12-hour shifts “until further notice,” according to operations manager Kyle Bloyd. He says crews are prepared to work through the next several days as conditions evolve.
Bloyd says crews will first focus on Priority One roadways which the major corridors that keep the city moving.
“Washington Street, Keystone Avenue and streets to hospitals and fire stations,” he said, naming critical routes that will see the most attention.
Dense residential neighborhoods will be classified as Priority Two, meaning they will be treated after the main thoroughfares are cleared.
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Across Indianapolis, residents spent the morning making sure they had what they needed before the snowfall.
Carolyn Bradbury was among those stocking up.
“We decided to get it in real quickly before the snow came,” she said, adding that many stores were already out of road salt. “There’s no salt to be found because everyone has bought the salt.”
Outside of Indianapolis, dangerous conditions led to several major pileups Saturday.
INDOT cameras captured a crash involving an estimated 20 to 30 vehicles on I-70 westbound about 10 miles from Terre Haute. Another pileup involving 15 cars was reported on southbound I-69 near the Grant–Huntington County line.
To avoid further accidents, officials are urging drivers to:
- Reduce speed
- Keep extra distance between vehicles
- Check the forecast before traveling
They also encourage keeping an emergency kit in your vehicle, including a flashlight, first aid kit, blankets, jumper cables and a small shovel.
Before heading out, drivers can check where INDOT snowplows have been and see live roadway images through the TrafficWise app or the 511IN.org website.
Both tools provide a real-time map of central Indiana, including camera feeds from plows as they move through the area.
