PennDOT is ready for winter

Daily Courier

"The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has made final adjustments to its fleet of trucks, front-end loaders and other equipment in preparation for winter.

''In some parts of the commonwealth, our crews have already battled the first storm of the season, and with more than 40,000 miles of state-maintained roads in Pennsylvania, we are always prepared for the worst winter conditions, even early-season storms," said PennDOT Secretary Allen D. Biehler. "This year we have readied our equipment and crews for what some forecasters are saying could be an old-fashioned Pennsylvania winter. If the October snows are any indication, we could be in for a long season."

With a budget of approximately $175 million, PennDOT's 5,000 crew members will work with more than 2,200 snowplows, 520 front-end loaders and 120 anti-icing trucks to make travel safer during winter weather. PennDOT will continue anti-icing on major roads across the state.

Anti-icing is a process in which PennDOT crews pre-treat roads with salt water, or other ice-prohibiting solutions, before freezing precipitation begins. Pre-treating prevents ice from forming a strong bond with the road surface, giving PennDOT crews a jump on keeping the roads drivable.

PennDOT added more state-of-the-art, ground-speed-control salt spreaders. These specialized machines are calibrated to use just the right amount of salt for conditions, regardless of the speed of the truck.

So far, PennDOT has stockpiled more than 570,000 tons of salt and will re-supply throughout winter.

Crews will carefully monitor road conditions and will take appropriate actions depending on the type of winter event. Crews, generally, will not begin plowing until almost 2 inches of snow have accumulated, since a cushion of snow actually helps provide traction. However, crews may apply salt and anti-skid, or a combination of the two, depending on the temperature, precipitation forecast and type of road.

PennDOT provides its highest level of winter service on the interstate system and other primary routes. Motorists are reminded that during more significant winter storms, higher accumulations of snow on secondary roads are not uncommon since road crews are focused on clearing and maintaining major routes. Since salt requires higher traffic volumes to work effectively, PennDOT will often use a higher ratio of anti-skid materials, such as sand or crushed stone, on secondary roads to help provide traction.

Now is the time to prepare vehicles for winter weather to help avoid breakdowns. Motorists should have a mechanic check their vehicle's battery, belts and hoses, heater and defroster, tires and anti-freeze level. Additionally, motorists should regularly check their wipers, lights, fluid levels and tire air pressure. "

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PennDOT is ready for winter