{"id":136224,"date":"2026-01-24T07:14:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-24T07:14:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/136224\/"},"modified":"2026-01-24T07:14:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-24T07:14:10","slug":"txdot-responds-to-criticism-from-northeast-u-s-public-works-director-about-houston-storm-response","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/136224\/","title":{"rendered":"TXDOT responds to criticism from northeast U.S. Public Works Director about Houston storm response"},"content":{"rendered":"

TxDOT is preparing for this winter storm with a brine treatment despite a rainy forecast.<\/p>\n

As KPRC 2\u2019s Gage Goulding<\/a> pointed out this week: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania\u2019s Interim Director of Public Works is not impressed. <\/p>\n

Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) trucks were spotted delivering their liquid brine mix to bridges and overpasses Friday as part of preparations for an approaching winter storm.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: Houston prepares for icy roads: Expert tips and essential car emergency kit for safe winter driving<\/a><\/p>\n

That work actually started Thursday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re on it. We\u2019re prepared. We\u2019ve been monitoring this system, at least for the last couple of weeks,\u201d a TxDOT spokesperson said, reassuring the public about their readiness.<\/p>\n

However, not everyone is convinced the brine treatment will be effective. <\/p>\n

While TxDOT is actively working to treat roads, resources are stretched thin across six counties. And some criticism has popped up about the Houston road treatment plan.<\/p>\n

One public works official question the timing and effectiveness of the brine application, especially given the rainy forecast.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t use brine when it\u2019s raining, because it\u2019s just going to wash it away,\u201d said John McClory, Interim Director of Pittsburgh Public Works.<\/p>\n

Critics argue that applying brine before rain could severely reduce its effectiveness, essentially wasting time and resources.<\/p>\n

LIST: HISD confirms status for Monday\u2019s classes ahead of winter freeze| Here\u2019s our full Houston school district list<\/a><\/p>\n

A TxDOT representative responded, \u201cThat\u2019s why that operation has been continuing. It\u2019s ongoing again. We started yesterday, we start again today, and we will continue up until the event actually hits us,\u201d Barbi Hall, a TXDOT spokesperson said.<\/p>\n

TxDOT held a meeting Friday afternoon to discuss ongoing preparations as Houston braces for the storm.<\/p>\n

Hall said that if and when bridges, overpasses, and surface roads freeze, traction augmenting sand trucks will be dispatched.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TxDOT is preparing for this winter storm with a brine treatment despite a rainy forecast. As KPRC 2\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":136225,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[56,58,57,223,271,464,172],"class_list":{"0":"post-136224","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-houston","8":"tag-houston","9":"tag-houston-headlines","10":"tag-houston-news","11":"tag-news","12":"tag-txdot","13":"tag-united-states","14":"tag-weather"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=136224"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136224\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/136225"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=136224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=136224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=136224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}