On Thursday Morning, the Ohio Department of Transportation showed off its fleet of snow plows and brine trucks that will keep Medina County Roads clear this winter.
The trucks are based at the Medina County ODOT garage, located on State Route 18, near Interstate 71. “There are 43 employees that work during the winter to keep the roads clean, that includes mechanics, snow plow drivers and support staff” said Joyce Miller, of the District Three office of ODOT. The state also had what they term as an ‘outpost’, a much smaller garage on Burbank at State Route 83 and Interstate 71.
ODOT has 25 trucks in Medina County that can have plows attached to them in winter to keep the roads clean.
The Medina Garage is responsible for cleaning Interstates, U.S. and State Routes within villages and townships of Medina County. “For example, ODOT will treat State Route 94 both to the north and south of the city of Wadsworth”, said Miller.
The cost of keeping the Medina County roads clear of snow and ice is expensive. This winter, ODOT will pay $56.18 a for a ton of road salt. Last winter, Medina County used over 25,000 tons of road salt and 269,372 gallons of salt brine.
“Today, crews inspected every dump truck, every pick-up truck, every snow plow, every salt spinner and every salt spreader. Our mechanics and crews are looking at different operations of every vehicle, the hydraulics, the hoses, the lights, the horn are all being looked at” said Miller.
During snow events, crews go from their normal 8-hour shifts to 12 hour events, just to insure that the roads are cleared for motorists.
Miller says “safety is a concerted effort that has to be made by everyone who travels the highways”.
When Mother Nature fires that first snowball into Medina County this year, ODOT will be ready to handle it.
