Why bridges, overpasses are more dangerous in the winter

The roads might be dry in your neighborhood, but those same conditions don't always hold on overpasses and bridges.

(KDVR) — While roads might be clear of ice in your neighborhood, those same conditions don't always hold on overpasses and bridges.

During the winter season, bridges and overpasses are often more dangerous to drive on as compared to regular roads. Despite conditions being fine on city streets or highways, bridges and overpasses can become icy.

As Nexstar's KDVR reported, Denver saw the results of a surprisingly slick overpass in November 2022 with a 100-car pileup on 6th Avenue and Kalamath Street. While it wasn't a particularly snowy day, Skyler McKinley from AAA said the overpass conditions left multiple cars totaled.

"A big chunk of that highway [6th Avenue] was completely fine, and then you get to the portion where it's an overpass, and because you've got cold above and cold below, that freezes over much more quickly," said McKinley.

It's that reason water on bridges and overpasses freeze more quickly than their in-ground counterparts: the cold air coming from both directions.

Water on regular roads takes longer to freeze because it is only experiencing cold air from above.

During the winter season, you don't have to avoid bridges and overpasses, you just need to be aware that the road conditions will change quickly.

McKinley stresses the importance of driving slowly during the winter.