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Arkansas Thanksgiving Travel: Even Salted I-40 Can Freeze
Little Rock, AR – Arkansas drivers preparing for Thanksgiving travel on Interstate 40 should know that a freshly treated highway is not necessarily an ice free highway. When pavement temperatures plun
By Audrey Sloan · 2026-11-11T19:22:39.475Z
Little Rock, AR – Arkansas drivers preparing for Thanksgiving travel on Interstate 40 should know that a freshly treated highway is not necessarily an ice free highway. When pavement temperatures plunge, traditional road salt becomes less effective, leaving motorists vulnerable to slippery conditions even after maintenance crews have treated the roadway.
According to winter maintenance guidance from transportation agencies, conventional road salt becomes increasingly less effective as pavement temperatures approach 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Its ice melting ability declines further in the teens and single digits, although actual performance depends on pavement conditions, moisture and the treatment used.
Why Even Salted Arkansas Highways Can Freeze Road salt lowers water's freezing point, helping melt snow and ice. However, it cannot guarantee clear pavement or safe traction.
Around 20 degrees, conventional salt works more slowly than it does near freezing. Below approximately 15 degrees, salt alone may struggle to melt ice quickly enough to improve driving conditions.
That matters for motorists traveling through Little Rock in Pulaski County, Conway in Faulkner County, Russellville in Pope County and Fort Smith in Sebastian County.
Major corridors including I 40, I 30, I 49 and I 55 can become slippery despite treatment, particularly on bridges, overpasses and elevated ramps.
Thanksgiving Travel Could Increase the Danger Thanksgiving falls Thursday, Nov. 26, bringing holiday traffic onto Arkansas highways connecting the Little Rock metropolitan area, northwest Arkansas, the Fort Smith region and neighboring states.
If freezing rain, sleet or sharply falling temperatures develop during the holiday travel period, even treated highways could become hazardous.
Bridges and overpasses deserve particular attention because they can cool faster than surrounding pavement. Drivers should also watch for overnight refreezing, when wet looking roads develop patches of ice.
The Arkansas Department of Transportation uses winter maintenance treatments and plowing operations, but no treatment guarantees ice free pavement under every condition.
Before departing, motorists should check National Weather Service forecasts and ARDOT's IDriveArkansas service for updated highway conditions, traffic cameras and travel alerts.
The bottom line: Salted does not mean safe. Reduce speed, increase following distances and remain especially cautious on bridges and elevated ramps during freezing weather.