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When winter weather starts, the first step is pretreating the streets with brine, if conditions allow. Brine, a liquid salt mixture, has the same melting characteristics of solid rock salt but is more effective in lower temperatures. Using brine as a preventative measure, it takes four times less salt to prevent accumulation than to remove the snow and ice after it has been formed. To learn more about brine, click here.

Once snow has started to fall, the city snow removal crews begin the removal process and start clearing roads. The city has over 40 vehicles equipped with snow plows and salt spreaders.

The crews start the snow removal process in the first priority area – state routes. Then crews move on to collector streets, and lastly remove snow from neighborhood streets.

It typically takes 36 to 48 hours for all roadways to be treated or cleared from the end of the last snowfall.  For example, if a second significant snowfall occurs 24 hours after the first snowfall it is likely that the snow clearing crews will have to go back to the Priority 1 and 2 routes before returning to the neighborhood streets. Therefore, it could be 60 to 72 hours before every street has been addressed in this example.

Once roads have been treated in some capacity, either salted or plowed, crews will work in areas that might need more attention and will recheck areas as needed.

City has over 4000 tons of salt on hand and contracts in place to purchase additional salt as needed.    Salt is a key component is snow fighting operations but when temperatures get below 19 degrees its effectiveness is reduced and causes increased clearing time.

Snow Removal Priority List

NOTE: This list is the general guide by which snow removal is performed by city crews. Please note, if emergency or extenuating circumstances arise, deviations from this list may occur. For a map of the state routes and collector streets, click here.

A. Priority 1 – State Routes
The following areas are the first to be cleared:

State Routes

• State Route 11W (Stone Dr.) – City Limits to City Limits
• State Route 126 (Memorial Blvd.) – Fort Henry to City Limits
• State Route 36 (Forty Henry) – Center St. to City Limits
• State Route 36 (Center St.) – Netherland Inn Rd. to Memorial Blvd.
• State Route 36 (Lynn Garden Dr.) – Center St. to City Limits
• State Route 355 (Industry Dr.) – Center St. to Wilcox
• State Route 93 (J. B. Dennis) – Non controlled access sections
• State Route 126 (Wilcox & Old Wilcox Dr.) – Center St. to J. B. Dennis
• State Route 357 (Airport Parkway) City Limits to City Limits

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B. Priority 2 – Collector Streets
The following collector streets are next for snow removal:

• Sullivan to Clinchfield to Ravine to Watauga to N. Eastman
• W. Carter’s Valley, Riverport, Brookside, Willowbrook & Rock Springs
• Harbor Chapel to Cooks Valley to Lakes Valley to Abilene to Skyland to Cimarron to Thornton to Stratford
• Netherland Inn to Ridgefields to Fleetwood & Pendragon to Netherland Inn to University to Lewis Lane
• Sevier to Konnarock to Warpath to Orebank
• Fairview to Granby to Clouds Ford to Union to Fort Robinson to Afton
• Fall Creek Road, Lebanon Road, Kendrick Creek, Tri-Cities Crossing

For a map of the state routes and collector streets, please click here.

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C. Priority 3 – Neighborhoods

Once Priority 1 and 2 are cleared, the crews will move into neighborhoods.

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Private Streets
(The following streets are private and therefore not cleared by the City of Kingsport)

• The Birches
• Deer Creek Dr.
• Apple Court
• Pendleton Place
• Walnut Grove
• Cobblestone Place
• Waterman Drive
• Stonebrook Place
• Mountain Pine Lane
• Ridgepine Lane
• Foxtail Lane
• Whitepine Lane
• Pinecone Circle
• Pine Needle Path

*Updated 6/2024

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