ODOT Prepares for Winter

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – Winter weather can strike at a moments notice and each fall, the Ohio Department of Transportation prepares for the task of keeping Ohio’s motorists safe during inclement weather events.

ODOT District 5 Public Information Officer Chas Cosgrave explains some of the procedures ODOT crews all across the state take to ensure they’re prepared and their equipment is safe to perform.

“All sorts of things. It’s a very in-depth inspection. It’s a 150 point inspection and it covers everything from the plow blade to the salt spinner and everything in-between. That could be seatbelts, first-aid kits, mechanics, motors, everything. And it’s just all about making sure that we are ready for that first snow and ice event this year and identifying any issues that might come up so we can have those corrected well ahead of time,” Cosgrave said.

ODOT has more than 320 plow trucks and 360 drivers across Central Ohio, who are ready to hop behind the wheel when the call arrives. Those CDL certified drivers include full time employees, auxiliary drivers, who perform other roles within ODOT and seasonal workers.

“So, we want to make sure, just like everything else, we’re ready for that as well,” Cosgrave said. “We have plenty on hand. So across the Central Ohio region, we have over 90,000 tons of salt ready to go in salt barns across the region. Statewide we have over 800,000 tons of salt on hand.”

Cosgrave noted that the objective is to stay ahead by monitoring the weather, maintaining a state of readiness and keeping both the people and equipment prepared. He advises the public to move over for flashing lights and don’t crowd the plow so that the crews can do their job safely.