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We've been spoiled with beautiful fall weather lately, and for most of us, the thought of travel-altering snow and ice still seems far away. Luckily for us, the folks at the Ohio Department of Transportation are preparing now for what we may eventually face.
Inspections are underway, including ODOT District 11's Jefferson County garage located along county Road 43 just outside of Wintersville. Mechanics and drivers have been checking trucks and plows. Statewide, ODOT is conducting safety checks, hiring additional mechanics and drivers, replenishing salt stores and getting ahead of the game.
Route refresher training helps drivers understand where they'll be working. As Lauren Borrell, public information officer for District 11 pointed out, "This is our signature service -- snow and ice. Our drivers take great pride in what they do. Many of them are plowing and treating roads that their families, friends and neighbors drive, so they want to do their best to make sure the roads are safe for them."
It takes a lot of work to keep the roads safe for motorists. During the 2023-2024 snow and ice season, ODOT says, more than 120 drivers maintained a total of 3,378 treated lane miles across the seven Eastern Ohio counties covered by District 11. Crews drove 384,632 miles during that season, using 26,796 tons of salt and 444,104 gallons of liquid deicers, or salt brine.
In Jefferson County, 16 trucks covered 462 lane miles, which include 139 bridges. The county has 12 snow routes, at 37 miles per route. There were 63,445 total miles driven and 5,178 tons of salt used in Jefferson County during the 2023-2024 winter, along with 47,770 gallons of brine.
While ODOT employees do their part to make sure they are as prepared and safe as possible this winter, the rest of us bear a little responsibility, too.
Those plows and trucks are on the road to serve other drivers, and that puts them at risk. Rather than crowd them, we should stay out of their way. Borrell reminded divers that they should maintain a safe distance from plow trucks, which take time to slow down and stop. With a potential slip factor on the road, motorists need to be wary so as not to cause a collision.
There were 22 plow trucks struck statewide during the 2023-2024 winter. That's down from the previous winter's tally of 26. ODOT warns that plow truck collisions delay snow-fighting efforts, as they require other trucks to cover their routes.
Rather than giving in to impatience and overconfidence in one's own vehicle, motorists need to be ready for wintry weather conditions and give plow trucks a wide berth. Ice on the roads may cause hazardous conditions, particularly on bridges and overpasses, which freeze more quickly, reminded Sgt. Jeff Bernard of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Traveling slower, and being cautious -- while ODOT gets ready to pre-treat, de-ice, cinder and plow area roads, the least we can do is to give them the space to do so safely.