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Madison County officials defend storm response, urge better coordination with TDOT
Summary
County highway and elected leaders described a large ice event as a federally declared disaster, detailed equipment and salt use, and pressed for earlier coordination with the Tennessee Department of Transportation after uneven state clearing left local routes icy while nearby counties were clearer.
MADISON COUNTY, Tenn. — County officials on Feb. 2 said Madison County responded to an unprecedented ice storm with all available equipment and urged the Tennessee Department of Transportation to change how it prioritizes state routes in future events.
The county highway superintendent told the commission the storm "has been a federally declared natural disaster and by every account, the the most severe ice events experienced in West Tennessee in decades." He said the department focused on post‑storm mechanical removal—plows, graders and loaders—because Madison County does not pretreat roads with brine or salt solutions, a capability he said is generally limited to TDOT and the region's largest cities.
The superintendent said crews treated, plowed or graded more than 170…
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