Crews at ODOT’s Montgomery County Garage in Clayton completed 150-point checks of snow plow trucks Thursday, inspecting the vehicles inside and out to ensure things like hydraulics, engines, lights, salt spinners and other features are in working order.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
“We go through everything, from first aid kits to fire extinguishers to ensure our drivers are going to be safe, along with checks of all mechanics, from engines to leaf springs; it’s basically a plow-to-bumper inspection,” said Loryn Bryson, ODOT District 7 spokeswoman.
Montgomery County ODOT has stored more than 7,500 tons of salt, split between two outposts, in Moraine and Huber Heights, and the Clayton garage.
The county’s fleet includes 23 plow trucks and four semi tankers for de-icing liquid. Montgomery County ODOT crews are responsible for 525 lane miles of road via 23 plow routes.
Across the state, ODOT employs nearly 3,000 drivers, who work 12-hour shifts during snow and ice events, according to the department.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
Around 37 full-time drivers are employed in Montgomery County, though the department hires seasonal workers to fill any gaps in coverage.
“If we get a big weather event, it takes about 43 people to provide around-the-clock coverage in 12-hour shifts, which is basically one person getting out of the truck and another getting in,” Montgomery County Transportation Administrator Jack Mason said.
To keep streets clear, drivers use a combination of de-icing agents depending on the weather’s severity.
“We put down rock salt, then a liquid brine, which is a mixture of salt and water,” Mason described Thursday. “Then, if we need to, we can also add an agricultural de-icing agent to the brine liquid, which activates the salt as it hits the road and improves performance.”
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
ODOT’s goal is to have primary routes back up to speed within two hours of the end of a snow event and secondary routes within four hours.
Officials urge motorists to prepare for the winter season, as well, by creating a habit now to leave for a destination a few minutes in advance, and to watch for plow trucks once the snow and ice, inevitably, arrives.
“Our drivers are out there to make the roads as safe as possible for motorists, so when you see those yellow, green and clear lights, give them room,” Mason said. “Drivers can’t see 360 degrees around their trucks, so we rely on the motoring public to pay attention to us, as we pay attention to them, so we can get the roads clear quickly.”
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