The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announces that its staff is equipped to respond in the event of adverse weather.

Forecasts call for the possibility of freezing temperatures overnight, with some precipitation in the northern portion of the state tonight and early tomorrow.

DOTS will have crews out scouting the roadways and bridges, and will be prepared to respond, if necessary.

The agency says supply inventories and equipment have been checked, and crews will address any affected bridges and roadways.

For the most up-to-date road status information, you can check one of the following sources:

• Motorists can receive automatic and up-to-date information on local projects, lane and road closures, and other DOTD activity by signing up for MyDOTD at www.dotd.la.gov.

• Travelers can also find information regarding road closures by visiting the 511 Traveler Information website at www.511la.org or by dialing 511 from their telephone and saying the route or region about which they are seeking information.

• Additionally, real-time traffic and road condition updates are also available at DOTD’s “Way to Geaux” smartphone application, which can be downloaded on any iPhone or Android device by visiting either the iTunes App Store, or Google Play.

DOTS also recommends these winter weather driving safety tips:

• Drive slowly and carefully
• Avoid driving while distracted
• Always allow for extra driving time
• Reduce speeds when visibility is low
• Make sure there is plenty of room between vehicles

Also, beware of black ice -- a thin, transparent layer of ice accumulation that can be visually hard to detect on bridges, overpasses, off-ramps and in shady spots. As always, DOTD reminds motorists to buckle up and refrain from drinking and driving.

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