By Kara Peters
As Mississippi begins to brace for the incoming winter storm on Monday, road conditions become the biggest priority.Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace has stated that signs of dangerous road conditions are already happening on bridges."The Mississippi Department of Transportation and the State Highway Department was out just after midnight as well with several bridges including the Yazoo Bridge that's directly behind me that was iced over shortly after midnight last night," said Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace.Bridges and overpasses are typically the first to become dangerous due to a lower surface temperature, which allows for ice to accumulate more quickly. It is encouraged to stay at home during the storm."You just have to be especially cautious of bridges. Bridges will ice over first, so any condition, any situation where you have something falling, whether it be sleet or rain or snow, be particularly aware of the ice that may build up on bridges," Sheriff Pace said.Officials in Issaquena County laid down slag and sand Friday for the incoming inclement weather. If you do have plans to drive in the coming days, you are urged to drive slow and cautious, especially on any icy roads."Of course we're obviously concerned about the traveling public, about the roads with ice, the potential ice and sleet, and we're just asking people to be prepared for that. You certainly cannot drive on an icy road the same as you do on a wet road," Sheriff Pace said. Public works crews in Clinton are also gearing up for the winter storm. Crews are expected to work overnight to treat roads and bridges prone to ice cover."Anything you put down with the cars in the rain will wash it away. So we want to try and make sure it starts getting dry before we put it down it'll probably be later this evening given that the roadways are still wet," said Clinton Public Works Director Phillip Lilley.Lilley also said that crews will focus on main thoroughfares including Highway 80 and bridges throughout the city."We have a lot of elderly in town. We try to make sure they can get in and out. Our main function is to make sure that we don't have a lot of accidents," said Lilley.