Winter Road Conditions are Snow Joke

Fall had some wondering when winter would arrive with warmer temperatures prevailing.  West Michigan has received an answer to that question in the past few weeks with frigid temperatures and a few snowfall events.  The Department of Public Works (DPW) in Lowell is responsible for clearing city roads when snow is on the way, whether an inch or half a foot is in the forecast.  

Events as Unique as Snowflakes
According to Scott Fosburg, who has been with DPW for over 25 years, each snow and ice event is looked at individually.  Factors such as temperature before, during, and after an event, duration and rate of snowfall, and the amount of snow received are considered.  A slight change any of these can change the way in which the roads are tackled.  Has the snow been packed down?  Will a mixture of salt and sand, at a 2-1 ratio, work at the current temperature?  Each event may seem just like another snowfall, but when dealing with road conditions a lot is considered when deciding upon a plan of action.

When snow is expected DPW is on alert.  Should precipitation occur overnight someone is on call to determine what is needed to clear the streets of Lowell.  Regardless of the severity of conditions, main roads, hills, and school routes are cleared first, then a concentration on roads going in a north-south direction because there is more likely to be drifting and blowing.  One plow can handle removing and salting when an inch of snow or less is expected.  But with higher amounts both plows will be used, typically with one focusing on the east side of the city and one taking care of the west side.

The model years of the plow trucks are 2008 and 2016 respectively.  They both have a blade under the truck as well as wing blades which fold up.  A third truck has plowing ability with an underbelly scraper but cannot salt.  A plow fully loaded with a two to one salt and sand mixture can typically take care of half the city streets and still have a little of the mixture left over.  

A backup camera helps void blind spots.  And a station of controls moves blades and manages the rate at which the salt and sand mixture is dispensed.  The mixture is set to release at a rate corresponding to the speed of the plow.  The mixture isn’t scattered with as much force in some conditions, such as roads packed with snow, in order to avoid it bouncing out of lanes of traffic.

Our tour occurred before all of the snow hit Lowell.

On the Road Again
The City of Lowell oversees snow removal on seven miles of major streets and 14 miles of local or side streets.  As an example of how long it takes to deal with a snow event, for a storm total of four inches it would take five employees 6-8 hours to clean up streets, parking lots, and sidewalks without having to tend to any equipment failure.  City Manager Mike Burns reported during his Manager’s Report during this week’s City Council meeting a total of 66.5 personnel hours were worked between December 24-26 clearing snow and tending to Lowell roads.  A minimum of two people to a total of six battled the streets.  

Fosburg, and others who drive the city plows, are required to hold a special license to operate the large vehicle.  DPW takes pride in clearing Lowell streets and keeping them safe during weather events.  As homeowners themselves, they do not like filling the end of driveways with the snow they plow, but it’s part of the job and a result of clearing snow from streets.   

If you see a DPW employee out in a plow or tending to sidewalks in the downtown area, give them a wave.  And if you can thank them for their hard work, do so.  They are a big part of keeping Lowell roads safe during the winter months and the city looking good when the weather is warm.  Their work, in many cases, goes unnoticed, but should they stop their jobs it would be noticed quickly.  

When plows are out working, it’s important to give them space to work.  They may make maneuvers not typically seen in traffic patterns or parking lots.  Remember, if the green light is on, the plow is operational working to scrape snow and/or distribute a salt mixture.  And the big vehicles aren’t immune to poor road conditions.  Fosburg mentioned an incident when a plow truck was attempting to drive up the N. Division hill during an ice storm.  The truck got half way up and started sliding back down, eventually spinning during the descent.  He continued saying sometimes plow drivers will go up icy hills backward so they can apply salt and sand to use for their own traction.  

The snow has arrived for this winter season.  Clearing the city streets and keeping them passable and safe is taken seriously and accomplished with pride by the Lowell Department of Public Works.

 

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