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.
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.