MEMPHIS, Tenn. — State officials in Arkansas say keeping the roads clear is their top priority as the state braces for a third round of ice storms while still recovering from the first two.

Tuesday night’s winter storm left roads across east Arkansas covered in a thick sheet of ice.

Arkansas Department of Transportation spokesperson Dave Parker says they’ve been preparing for the storm since Sunday. “We pretreated. Then we had systems come through. We had to deal with that. Then we pre-treated and went back and plowed when we could.”

Parker says they have hundreds of crews in East Arkansas working to clear the roads, but there are still several slick spots, especially on bridges and underpasses.

“Ice is an extremely difficult thing to deal with. It is not like you can plow it away. It takes time for the chemicals we put down to work and to allow us to plow something.”

Parker says the state has enough supplies and manpower, but they want to make sure all resources are allocated accordingly. “We’re using the really abrasive calcium chloride rock salt on those bridges and overpasses, but if we can keep 40 and 55 moving somewhat, that’s a victory for us.”

ArDOT says they are encouraging everyone to stay off the roads as much as possible.