11-20-2024 10:46pm

ODOT Prepping for First Snow of the Season

Beth Callahan Editor

Photo provided from ODOT

COLUMBUS – With snow in the forecast for Thursday, Ohio Department of Transportation crews are making sure trucks, drivers, and equipment are ready to safely roll across the state.

A warmer start to the week means pavement temperatures in Ohio remain high enough to melt most of the snow on contact. However, drivers should be extra alert on bridges and overpasses as conditions there will change more rapidly as temperatures fall. Crews will be out monitoring and treating roadways, as needed.

ODOT has more than 810,000 tons of salt under roof and more than 4.5 million gallons of liquid deicer ready to go.

Beginning in September, each of ODOT’s 1,700-trucks and other snow fighting equipment went through a rigorous 150-point inspection by ODOT mechanics in every county.

The agency utilizes nearly 3,000 drivers who often work 12-hour shifts during snow and ice events. While most are full-time drivers, about 500 drivers are hired seasonally. This team maintains more than 43,000 lane miles of state and U.S. routes outside municipalities and all interstates in Ohio, except the Ohio Turnpike.

In addition to full-time and seasonal drivers, ODOT also uses auxiliary drivers. These auxiliary drivers are full-time ODOT employees who normally do other tasks and only plow snow when needed.

Please Give Us Room to Work

A total of 22 plow trucks were struck last winter, down from 26 the previous winter. When these crashes occur, it takes important snow-fighting equipment off the road, forcing other plows in the area to extend their routes. Unfortunately, when someone does hit a snow plow, they are more likely to be injured than the plow driver, which is why it is very important that motorists give crews plenty of room to work.

Winter 2023-2024

ODOT’s goal is to have primary routes back up to speed within 2 hours and secondary routes within 4 hours of the end of a snow event. Last winter, crews hit that goal 98.3% percent of the time. Last winter, crews drove 4.8 million miles using nearly 371,785 tons of salt and 10.3 million gallons of liquid deicers.