Kent County Road Commission FAQ

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Why do bridges and overpasses freeze before the surface of the road?

The heat underneath the road helps keep it warm and prevents it from freezing, or icing, as quickly as the air’s temperature. But bridges have no way to trap heat, so they freeze shortly after temperatures hit the freezing point. If the air temperature falls below freezing, a bridge’s surface will fall below freezing soon after causing rain or snow to freeze and stick to the bridge surface.