ODOT Lisbon post prepares for winter season

Official provides tips for safe driving

LISBON -- Don't crowd the plow -- keep an eye on weather reports -- stay home if possible -- and be prepared when the snow flies and roads turn to ice.

That's just some of the advice doled out Wednesday by Ohio Department of Transportation District 11 Public Information Officer Lauren Borell during the annual winter readiness event held at the ODOT garage on U.S. Route 30 outside Lisbon.

The 20 plow trucks in the fleet for Columbiana County's ODOT headquarters lined up for a 150-point inspection by mechanics looking at the hydraulics, the plow blade movement, the salt spinner, tires, lights, wiper blades and engines to make sure they're ready for winter work.

"It encompasses everything major and minor on the truck," Borell said.

ODOT has been doing these winter readiness events and inspections across the state, but Borell said it's also a good idea for motorists to check their own vehicles before winter hits. Check the tread on the tires, fill up the washer fluid, check the wiper blades and stock a blanket and bottles of water inside in case the vehicle gets stuck in snow and travel becomes difficult. Some people keep kitty litter or sand in the trunk in case they need extra traction and a small shovel could prove useful.

"Preparing your vehicle is preparing yourself for safe winter driving," she said.

If it's bad out, don't go on the road, but if it's necessary, she said, "Don't crowd the plow."

"Give our trucks plenty of room to work," Borell said.

In Columbiana County, ODOT drivers are responsible for clearing 685 miles of U.S. and state highways which include 193 bridges using 17 snow routes. Trucks cover 39 miles per route with 30 drivers working in 12-hour shifts or longer 24/7. They also have two bridge inspectors who keep an eye on bridges during the winter.

She said the salt domes are fully stocked with 8,250 tons of salt, so ODOT Columbiana County is ready. ODOT also pretreats roads with brine and when the temperatures really drop, such as under 20 degrees Fahrenheit, they use beet juice. If snow starts packing, drivers can use the brine to loosen it up and then move it with the plows.

Borell stressed the need for motorists to give the plow trucks the room they need to make the roads safe, especially on the four-lanes, which in Columbiana County would be state Route 11. The trucks are big and need room to maneuver with the plows. She said the drivers have their hands full operating the plow, using the salt spreader and then also keeping an eye on other traffic.

Columbiana County is unique with its combination of rural and urban roads and streets and it's a large county. The headquarters is located in the middle of the county, with outposts located in Unity Township and in East Liverpool at what's known as Apple's Corners, so drivers don't necessarily have to return to headquarters to resupply their salt.

ODOT also embraces technology in the fight against snow and ice, constantly monitoring the weather radar, with the area managers talking with their counterparts to the west to see what's coming their way.

Motorists can also take advantage of some of the technology available to keep informed using ODOT's ohgo.com for traffic updates, weather and travel times.

"It's a really great tool to use and it's free," Borell said.

She suggested downloading the OHGO app.

She hadn't heard about predictions for this winter, but last winter the Columbiana County headquarters logged 138,240 miles on the plow trucks and used 12,878 tons of salt and 141,638 gallons of brine. Overall, ODOT crews drove 9.7 million miles using nearly 813,000 tons of salt and 16.9 million gallons of liquid deicers.

To learn more, stay connected with District 11 via social media on Facebook at odoteasternohio or on the ODOT website at transportation.ohio.gov.