CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Crews with the West Virginia Dept. of Highways are prepared and ready for the coming winter months and possible snowstorms.
Joe Pack, WVDOH Chief Engineer of Operations, announced today that the Snow Removal and Ice Control (SRIC) crews have conducted dry runs and inspected and tested all equipment needed, including plow attachments and salt spreaders.
Pack said WVDOH has a stockpile of more than 231,000 tons of salt and more than 1,000 snowplows to cover all 55 counties. A typical snowplow holds 12 tons of salt, enough to treat about 100 miles of roads (50 miles of a four-lane highway).
Pack also says that operators are assigned to perform snow and ice removal until all roads are addressed on a 24/7 schedule using 12-hour shift. That includes putting down brine before a storm hits if conditions are cold and dry. Otherwise, the brine would be washed away if it’s wet and rainy.
“Trucks and drivers are always on standby and ready to address roadway conditions hours before the snow begins falling. Drivers will stay on patrol within their assigned areas until the storm passes and conditions improve,” Pack said.
All roads maintained by the WVDOH and Parkways Authority fit into one of four priorities and are addressed as the storm conditions dictate. Priority 1 routes include Interstate, Expressway, National Highway System, and all other United States and West Virginia routes. Some Priority 1 routes also include high-traffic county routes. Priority 2 routes are all other school bus routes that are not considered Priority 1. Priority 3 routes are the remaining routes, not including park and forest routes. Priority 4 routes are park and forest routes.
Copyright 2024 WVVA. All rights reserved.