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‘It’s been chaos for everyone;’ UDOT talks snow storm, road conditions

Posted at 4:58 PM, Feb 17, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-18 07:39:02-05

SALT LAKE CITY — Wednesday’s snowstorm caused dangerous road conditions for Salt Lake County. The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) crews were busy working to keep the roads clear and safe.

READ: Wednesday snowfall breaks two longtime Salt Lake City records

Wednesday was a busy and chaotic day, Alan Peterson, UDOT Incident Management lead, said.

“It is very chaotic when you go from one call to the next, sometimes you don’t even make it to the next call before you are out on something else,” he said.

When there is a lot of snow and ice on the roads, things can quickly become treacherous, Peterson said.

“I don’t think people realize how dangerous it is for themselves, along with everybody out here,” he said.

READ: Winter storm brings in hundreds of calls to Utah Highway Patrol

The Incident Management Team works hard to clear the roads when people find themselves in trouble whether it be a slide-off, crash or they run out of gas.

“Our job is to assist the public, assist law enforcement and all first responders out here on the freeways and other roadways,” Peterson said.

WATCH: Avalanche danger remains 'high' in most Utah mountains, 'extreme' in Salt Lake area mountains

Peterson has worked for UDOT for more than 20 years, he’s never seen such a dry winter. This storm bought a lot of issues, he said, but he is happy he can help others.

“It is just one of those jobs when you go home at night, you’ve actually been able to, you can say that you’ve helped someone.”