Cold temps affects road clearing

ZANESVILLE, Ohio- Winter started off treating us warmly, but it has since given us a cold shoulder and that has made work a bit tricky for the Ohio Department of Transportation.

The sub-freezing temperatures not only have an affect on the conditions of the roads, but it can affect the methods used to keep the roads safe.

“The colder temperatures make it a lot more difficult to take care of snow and ice. To give you an idea: salt at about 30 degrees will melt about 45 pounds of ice,” said Phil Valentine, Muskingum County Manager. “When it starts getting down to 10 degrees you only get about 5 pounds of ice melted per pound of salt. So it drastically reduces the effectiveness.”

Valentine said O-DOT makes it a priority to always stay prepared. They have a forecaster that closely monitors the weather patterns and they also make sure all equipment is ready to go.

“We’re constantly making sure our trucks and fleet are clean, ready to go. Greased up. You know, we constantly check our inventories and make sure they’re stocked appropriately. And we’re always thinking 3-4 storms down the road. Not just the next one.”

Valentine said O-DOT is already looking ahead to the possible icy conditions this weekend.