Chesterton Tribune

 

 

INDOT prepping for winter statewide

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The Indiana Department of Transportation is urging folks to get themselves ready for blizzards and such during Winter Weather Preparedness Week, which began on Sunday and ends on Saturday, Nov. 22.

“INDOT urges drivers to dust off their winter driving habits before snow or ice leads to a crash or slide off,” INDOT Commissioner Karl Browning said. “This means planning extra travel time and allowing a safe distance between cars, especially our plow trucks. Remember, if the roads are blocked, plows cannot get through.”

Salt in Stock

Meanwhile, INDOT continues to stockpile road salt and already has on hand statewide more than 220,000 tons of it, “most of what would be need during a typical winter.”

That salt is costing a pretty penny, however.

Last winter INDOT consumed 437,000 tons of granular salt--50 percent more than the previous five-year average of 291,000 tons--with the result that “ongoing demand from last year’s record winter has resulted in less competition among suppliers,” INDOT said. Average salt contract prices have spiked 57 percent across the state and are now in the range of $72.59 to $105.89 per ton.

New Plow Equipment

INDOT’s yellow plow trucks logged nearly 8.8 million miles last winter, the equivalent of 353 trips around the earth or 18 round trips to the moon.

This season INDOT is realigning its snow routes to create better efficiencies and adding more plows to some routes. This includes eight new “tow plows” across the state. “Already used in Northeast Indiana and 22 other states, a tow plow and material spreader are pulled behind and to the side of INDOT’s standard yellow plow truck, allowing two lanes to be cleared at once,” INDOT said. “The investment intends to optimize usage of fuel, anti-icing materials, equipment, and labor during snow and ice removal.”

Tow plows will only be used on multi-lane highways and interstates, INDOT noted. “Drivers should not attempt to pass a tow plow if all lanes are blocked, but stay a safe distance and speed behind the plows. Road conditions are always better behind a plow at work than in front.”

New Driver Hires

Last winter INDOT’s plow drivers worked in alternating shifts of 12 to 16 hours every day for weeks or months straight, logging 526,000 man-hours, or nearly 44,000 12-hour shifts.

Over the past few months INDOT has been hiring aggressively is still accepting seasonal and full-time plow driver applications in some locations at www.in.gov/spd/careers/

Annual winter training has been performed for all plow drivers and supervisors, and winter equipment has been inspected.

Repairing Winter Damage

Extreme temperature shifts last season did more damage than normal to Indiana’s highways, INDOT said, prompting an investment of 183,000 man hours and nearly 14,000 tons of asphalt as part of a “pothole blitz” in February.

“Efforts to repair winter damage and preserve existing roadways continued during the warmer months after the hot mix asphalt plants re-opened,” INDOT said, with more than $40 million in its state and federal construction program re-prioritized for additional pavement patching and repairs.

Crews have also been performing chip-seal projects on rural state highways to seal off tiny cracks from water that could freeze and expand, forming potholes. Stone chips also provide improved traction for stopping during winter.

“National research has shown that every $1 used to preserve our pavements saves $6 to $14 in future, more disruptive repairs,” INDOT said.

 

Posted 11/17/2014

 
 

 

 

 

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