Road departments get winter ready
Meteorologists do not expect the snow to accumulate on the ground this week, but public road departments are preparing their fleets for the winter season.
Dave Meeder, director of public works for Butler Township, said the road department normally has 12 staff members. Although the department is down to 10 at the moment, Meeder said the township has a regular plan in place that allows the staff to efficiently cover the 92 miles of roads.
“All the trucks are outfitted with salt spreaders,” Meeder said. “Our guys will rotate through because we have 12 available. When we have to go on a salt run, we'll put eight out. On a particularly bad day, we might put all 12 on the road, and if it's working hours through the day, I will assess road conditions and send them out as needed.”
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation also released a fact sheet regarding winter road treatments. In addition to giving motorists tips on how to drive safely in the snow, it also gives estimates on when to expect roads to be treated during times of snow fall.
The fact sheet is available for viewing on PennDOT’s website.
“Interstates and expressways will see a plow route completed in roughly two hours,” the fact sheet stated. “Other major routes or less-traveled state roads may see a plow every three hours.”
In Butler County over the winter of 2021, PennDOT treated 577 snow lane miles and 33 municipal agreements miles using 23,172 tons of salt, 102,398 gallons of brine. The cost to maintain state roads in Butler County totaled $5.9 million, according to PennDOT’s fact sheet.
Meeder said the township road crew responds to calls for service in a similar way that emergency responders do. He is pushing to get more staff members in the department soon, so the township plan can work as intended.
“Police will notify 911 and ask us to dispatch the guys. Normally I will dispatch the eight, and then they might call me and say they need more,” he said. “We're hoping to get some more people and train them to get them out.”
