DDN – The winter storm and its sustained low temperatures made roads in the area treacherous, with the Fayetteville Police Department responding to dozens of accidents Tuesday evening and Wednesday afternoon.

Loren Bymer, a city spokesman, said around noon Wednesday that all city roads were open despite the winter storm that dumped more than 3 inches in some areas.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation did not disclose any road closures in the region.

According to NCDOT spokesman Andrew Barksdale, more than 13,000 tons of salt and 800,000 gallons of brine were spread across state roadways ahead of the storm. Barksdale reported that an additional 200,000 gallons of brine have been used since the storm.

He stated that the NCDOT’s priority in Cumberland County is on main routes such as Bragg Boulevard, N.C. 87, and Skibo Road, with bridges, overpasses, and other known issue sites receiving additional salting.

“Secondary roads will take a few days,” Barksdale said. “We’re not going to be able to get to the secondary routes until probably Friday.”

Maj. Lee Hicks of the Fayetteville Police Department said Wednesday that more than 40 accidents were recorded in the city between 5 p.m. Tuesday and 1 p.m. Wednesday. Hicks stated that information on the severity of the collisions or injuries was not immediately available.

According to police reports, at least two of the incidents recorded in the city boundaries Tuesday night occurred within hours of each other on Gillis Hill Road.

At 9:05 p.m., a one-car accident was reported in the 2900 block of Gillis Hill. According to the accident report, a vehicle slipped off the right side of the road and into a ditch.

Two hours later, 100 yards from the prior accident site, a vehicle lost control after hitting a patch of ice and collided with a parked car.

The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and the State Highway Patrol did not reply to requests for information inside their areas.

Barksdale stated that, even though the temperature has not risen, the salt will melt the ice on the roadways as long as the temperature does not go below 18 degrees.

“It’s supposed to be like 14 degrees tonight, so we expect there will be slick spots and black ice overnight and tomorrow morning, so people should be prepared for that,” the weatherman added.

Reference: More than 40 accidents happened in Fayetteville during the winter storm