The Wellsville Road Department, with three employees, three trucks and a full salt barn, are ready to clear the roads when needed. (Submitted photo)

The road crews for East Liverpool, Liverpool Township, St. Clair Township and Wellsville are stocked with an ample salt supply and ready for the snow to fly.

East Liverpool

The City of East Liverpool has approximately 700 tons of salt on hand and 1,100 tons reserved for purchase to replenish their supply, according to Safety Service Director Bill Jones, who noted that the city has had to use about two tons already to keep water from water line breaks from freezing on the road.

The city used approximately 400 tons of salt last winter.

According to Jones, the purchase price of salt has increased $3 a ton.

The city is down three employees compared to being down two last winter. The street department recently had a longtime employee retire.

East Liverpool has four plow trucks ready to go and the city recently purchased two new salt hoppers for the trucks, which Jones said will operate much better than the tailgate spreaders that were previously specified on them from the previous administration.

The city has approximately 93 miles of roadways they work to keep open.

East Liverpool does not tend to issue snow emergencies or winter weather alerts requesting people to move their cars from the roads during inclement weather, but alerts could be issued depending on the amount of snow.

“My deputy director, Dan Galeoti, and his street department employees did a tremendous job of keeping our roadways clear during the beginning of our administration and I look for them to continue that great work during this winter season,” Jones said.

Liverpool Township

Chris Bosworth, road foreman, Liverpool Township, said the township, which uses a salt and #8 limestone mixture for the roads, has plenty of salt on hand. With last year being a mild winter and not needing to use much from their supply, combined with what was purchased this year, gives them approximately 500 tons on hand.

Bosworth said the treatment volume was low last year and cost them $54.89. This year’s cost is $53.19, which is $1.70 cheaper.

The township’s road department is fully staffed with four employees and the department has four trucks ready to clear the township’s 37.082 miles of roadway.

The township does not often issue “no parking” on the roads during inclement weather, as according to Bosworth there aren’t many issues with cars parking on the roads and if there are, they are typically minor.

The township monitors incoming inclement weather by listening to the latest forecasts and watching weather updates.

“Our department and staff are ready for anything winter weather wants has to throw at us,” Bosworth said. “It may just take a bit longer, but rest assured it will be taken care of.”

St. Clair Township

St. Clair Township has 800 tons of rock salt and 400 tons of a salt/rock mix to clear about 72 center miles of roadway. Of that amount 600 tons are left over from last winter.

Scott Barrett, road department supervisor for St. Clair Township, said that the department used approximately 400 tons of mixed material to treat the roads last year. He also noted that the cost for treatment this year at this time is about the same as last year.

When it comes to staffing, the road department currently has four employees, and they only had three last winter. They are ready with seven trucks to treat the roads.

Barrett said the township doesn’t issue winter weather alerts for cars parked on the road.

“We are St. Clair Township, and we are always ready,” Barrett said.

Wellsville

Wellsville Village Administrator Jeff Cope said the village currently has 200 tons of salt on hand for this year, and last year the village used 125 tons.

Cope agreed with the other departments in saying the cost of treatment is down this year compared to last year.

He also said his department, like last year, is fully staffed with three members and they have three trucks ready to go to clear the village’s eight miles of roadways.

Also like the other departments, the village doesn’t tend to issue winter weather alerts for vehicles parked on the roads.

“My guys are the best crew you can ask for. They are ready when we call them out and they get the roads done in a timely manner,” Cope said. “I’m grateful for my foreman, he is my best worker.”

None of the road departments note the need to really treat the roads yet. For some there was a day or two which called for light treatment.

kgarabrandt@mojonews.com