PREPARE – Snow plow trucks were parked at the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Jefferson County garage on County Road 43 and received inspections from ODOT mechanics Thursday. -Christophe Dacanay

WINTERSVILLE — The Ohio Department of Transportation is checking equipment and stocking stores with salt to make sure its drivers are ready to respond when winter arrives.

Across the state, ODOT mechanics perform 150-point checks on the department’s snow plow trucks so that repairs are completed well before snow and ice begin to threaten the state’s highway system.

ODOT is responsible for maintaining state, U.S., and interstate highways. Department employees travel all interstate routes, including those passing through municipalities. However, ODOT does not plow or treat state or federal highways within municipalities, local roads, or private driveways.

The department’s District 11 includes Belmont, Carroll, Columbiana, Harrison, Holmes, Tuscarawas and Jefferson counties. All Jefferson County operations dispatch from the ODOT Garage, located on County Road 43.

Lauren Borrell, public information officer for ODOT District 11, watched mechanics conduct their pre-winter inspections Thursday. Noting ODOT’s winter preparedness efforts in Jefferson County and elsewhere, Borell remarked: “Before the season we are in good shape.”

“This is our flagship service: snow and ice” » said Borrell. “Our drivers take great pride in what they do. Many of them plow and treat the roads used by their families, friends and neighbors, so they want to do their best to make sure the roads are safe for them.

During the 2023-2024 snow and ice season, more than 120 drivers maintained a total of 3,378 miles of treated lanes across all seven eastern Ohio counties. District 11 crews traveled 384,632 miles this season, using 26,796 tons of salt and 444,104 gallons of liquid de-icers or salt brine.

That winter, 16 trucks traveled Jefferson County’s 462 miles of track, which includes 139 bridges. The county has 12 snow roads, measuring 37 miles in length per road. A total of 63,445 miles were traveled and 5,178 tons of salt were used in Jefferson County during the winter of 2023-2024, along with 47,770 gallons of brine.

Borrell said Jefferson County was “stay stable” this year, welcoming the same number of trucks and drivers. Jefferson County has 20 full-time drivers, in addition to seasonal employees with commercial driver’s licenses, who ODOT recruits for support during the winter months. ODOT also uses backup drivers or employees with CDLs who normally perform other tasks but plow when necessary.

The department provides 24/7 service with two 12-hour shifts per day, Borrell said, adding that drivers can work up to 16 hours depending on the severity of the storm.

The goal, Borrell said, is to have primary roads passable within two hours of the end of a particularly strong storm, with secondary roads cleared within four hours. ODOT crews achieved this goal 98.3 percent of the time last winter.

In a statement, Governor Mike DeWine said: “Ohio’s transportation is essential to keeping our state moving, especially during unpredictable winter storms. Safe, passable roads ensure that businesses can continue to operate, emergency services can reach those who need them, and residents can get to work and school without interruption.

Jefferson County is now fully supplied with salt at 9,900 tons, or about 14 percent of District 11’s total salt capacity of 70,500 tons. ODOT workers only used 5,178 tons of salt out of the 9,900 tons they used at the start of the 2023-2024 winter season. This is likely due to the series of mild winters seen in recent years, Borrell said.

As for Jefferson County trucks, mechanics examine every device “to ensure that it will be in working order when the snow falls”, » said Borrell. These range from lights and windshield wipers to salt wringers and plow blades. There are approximately 20 mechanics who perform inspections on District 11’s 118 total trucks.

ODOT Director Pamela Boratyn said in a statement: “These safety checks are important to ensure crews are properly trained, equipment is ready to roll, and de-icing materials are stocked. ODOT plow drivers take great pride and responsibility in keeping roads safe and communities connected during the winter months. Motorists can also help by driving according to conditions and giving crews the opportunity to do their jobs.

Borrell echoed the latter comment, noting that drivers “have their hands full” between monitoring the road, monitoring their material production and pavement temperatures and making adjustments to ensure their work is efficient. This would provide drivers with sufficient space to move around.

“(Drivers) are there to do a job, to keep the roads safe, and we need people to monitor them and give them enough space to work.”

Borrell said divers 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 must use caution to avoid causing a collision.

A total of 22 snow plow trucks were struck across the state during the winter of 2023-2024. That’s down from the previous winter’s total of 26. ODOT warns that collisions between plow trucks delay snow removal efforts because they require other trucks to cover their routes.

At the Jefferson County ODOT garage Thursday was Sgt. Jeff Bernard of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, who said people should be aware of the onset of freezing temperatures. Ice on roads can create dangerous conditions, especially on bridges and overpasses, which freeze more quickly.

“Be prepared, be aware (of the conditions)” said Bernard.

ODOT communicates year-round with OSHP – a close partner, especially on safety issues, Borrell said. Especially during the winter months, OSHP often notifies ODOT of conditions its officers encounter on the road that need to be corrected.