×

ODOT looks ahead to winter

The winter season is quickly approaching bringing and the Ohio Division of Transportation is preparing by readying all snow and ice equipment to ensure safety for area drivers.

On Wednesday, ODOT met at the District 10 garage in Marietta to do the yearly inspection of all equipment used for snow removal and gave its detailed and comprehensive “Winter Readiness” program.

“We want to ensure safety which is exactly why we have these inspections,” said Ashley Rittenhouse, ODOT District 10 public information officer.

The program focuses on four components of snow and ice removal on the roads around the area: the people, the equipment, the materials and the weather.

“We go over types of snow and ice removal, taking care of equipment, and the technicians do a thorough inspection of all the equipment,” said Rittenhouse.

ODOT District 10 consists of nine counties in southeastern Ohio: Athens, Gallia, Hocking, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Noble, Vinton and Washington. It includes more than 1,200 bridges, 15,000 culverts and 4,000 lane miles of state highway. Drivers, mechanics, and technicians of all the counties filled the garage Wednesday to discuss plans for the upcoming winter and to go over both new and routine safety procedures.

Bill Mason, a Washington County ODOT driver, is entering his 13th winter driving a truck.

“We usually work for around 16 hours depending on the severity of the snow,” he said. “I’ve heard it’s supposed to be a bad winter but we are definitely ready.”

Last year was mild in the area, leaving additional funding for supplies this year.

“Our cost per ton of salt this year will only be $52.74 compared to last year’s $77.36,” said Rittenhouse.

Washington County alone has 24 snow plows, 38 drivers, three mechanics and 587 lane miles in the county that is covered by ODOT. Workers drove more than 86,000 miles last winter removing snow and ice.

Rittenhouse said they train the drivers in the latest snow and ice removal concepts to ensure they are “game ready” before the first snowflake falls.

“This program and inspection makes sure your truck doesn’t break down when you’re out there working,” said TJ Edgall, a driver with District 10 entering his second year in snow removal. “We all read the Farmers Almanac, last winter went smoothly and knock on wood, we’ll have another.”

From highways to one-lane roads, the importance of different types of roads are discussed in a very detailed video all the drivers in District 10 watch.

“We just like our drivers to feel more than ready for the first snowfall of the season,” said Rittenhouse. “By having this program, we are being proactive for the months to come.”

New this winter, motorists are encouraged to download ODOT’s free mobile application. The app is called OHGO, which features winter road conditions and personalized traffic alerts with hands-free voice on the go.  OHGO is available on the App Store and Google Play.

It is also advised to motorists to be cautious when it begins to snow and the plow trucks hit the roads. Last year, 35 vehicles in Ohio struck ODOT trucks by following too closely.

By the numbers

ODOT locally:

¯ Snowplows: 24.

¯ Drivers: 38.

¯ Mechanics: 3.

¯ Tons of salt used last winter: 5,483.

¯ Lane miles: 587.

¯ Miles driven for snow removal last year: 86,174.

¯ Cost per ton of salt this winter: $55.74

Source: ODOT Winter Readiness Fact Sheet.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.15/week.

Subscribe Today