ODOT Crews Ready to Go In Ice and Snow

The official start of winter is still two months away; however, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is already thinking about ice and snow, readying its statewide fleet of snow-clearing equipment and highly-trained crews for the upcoming season. 

"As we wrap up our traditional road construction and maintenance season, our employees begin turning their attention toward improving the safety and accessibility of Ohio roads during the winter months," said District 9 Deputy Director James A. Brushart. "Of course, this is business as usual, so whether this years winter will be mild or harsh, our crews will be prepared." 

The district's preventive maintenance program kicked into high gear in October and November at each of the county facilities with the annual Operational Readiness Events that included dry run inspections for the equipment and snow and ice school for the drivers who will be plowing and treating the roadways. 

Prior to the onset of winter weather, the mechanics, transportation managers and highway workers prepare for the upcoming season by conducting winter equipment inspections at each of the highway maintenance facilities to ensure that all snow and ice removal equipment is functioning properly and to define any equipment repairs that must be made. 

In addition, the county managers and their teams of drivers are planning and organizing their response to any inclement weather the area may face, addressing issues such as anticipated storm duration, manpower and equipment usage and traffic problems during a one-day refresher course. 

This year, more than 200 regular, intermittent and auxiliary employees in District 9 will be at the ready to remove snow and ice from the nearly 3,800 lane miles of state and federal routes in the districts eight-county region, which includes Adams, Brown, Highland, Jackson, Lawrence, Pike, Ross and Scioto counties. And in service to the employees is a fleet of 111 dump trucks, each equipped with a snow plow blade and salt spreader and able to haul at least eight tons of material at a time. 

While preparing employees and equipment for winter weather, ODOT has been stockpiling materials that will be used to treat the highways after snow and ice have hit the road. Throughout District 9, salt sheds at garages and outposts are filled to capacity, with more than 33,655 tons of salt available districtwide. In addition, the district's facilities are stocking other ice and snow fighting agents, such as liquid calcium chloride, grit, pre-treated salt and salt brine. 

Of course, the first snow storm usually seems to be the worst because many motorists don't remember the winter driving skills they developed last year, and winter driving can pose a challenge for even the most experienced driver. So while the districts snow plow operators will work hard to keep the roadways clear of snow and ice, some slippery road conditions will be inevitable. 

"Although our drivers are well-prepared for the winter season, motorists can be a big help by driving cautiously when the roads are slippery, allowing for extra stopping distance, and not following our plows too closely," added Brushart. 

Throughout the winter, ODOT monitors the weather via Internet, radar and weather forecasting services. The department also receives road condition information from local law enforcement agencies and ODOT crews patrolling the roadways.  

Motorists can also obtain road conditions by logging onto ODOT's web site: www.buckeyetraffic.org. Last winter, ODOT's premiere web site received more than 32 million hits during the winter driving season.