HIGHWAY DISTRICT 12 (November 13, 2018) – One morning soon we will wake up to snow-covered roads. Schools will close. We will try to decide if we can get off the hill and out to the main road. We wonder if there is ice underneath the snow. Then we hear the snowplow scraping and crunching, clearing a path. The snowplow team from District 12 is already on the job. We whisper “thank you,” and prepare for the day.
The skill and concentration of Highway District 12’s team of snowplow operators make them a force to match the winter weather. “Our men and women have spent months getting ready for winter,” said Mary Westfall-Holbrook, D12 chief district engineer. “The salt domes are full; liquid calcium chloride tanks are topped off; the men have made thousands of gallons of salt brine.”
A, B, C PRIORITY SYSTEM: Highway District 12 covers 2,145 miles of roadway. Roadway miles are different than lane miles. Counting four-lane roads and three-lane sections, D12 snowfighters are responsible for more than 4,550 lane miles of pavement.
Westfall-Holbrook explained that the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has a carefully developed system that dictates the order in which roads are cleared during a winter storm. “Roads are designated A, B, or C according to traffic counts, how many homes and businesses are served by each highway. We also take into account the main routes that first responders need to access other roads when emergencies happen, people need to get to a hospital, there is a fire, or some other life-threatening situation.
Snow and Ice Priority Maps are available by county on the Transportation Cabinet’s website:https://transportation.ky.gov/Maintenance/Pages/Snow-and-Ice-Priority-Maps.aspx . Some roads are split; in other words, part of the road may be an A route and other parts a B route.
MATERIALS INVENTORY: Terry Cole Tackett is responsible for the district’s snow and ice materials inventory. Storage domes currently hold 22,373 tons of rock salt in the 10 maintenance facilities positioned throughout District 12’s seven counties: Lawrence, Johnson, Martin, Floyd, Knott, Pike, and Letcher. Calcium chloride tanks are brimming with 104,025gallons of the liquid snow-fighting chemical. More than 61,288 gallons of salt brine wait to be used in advance of a storm to prevent ice from bonding with the pavement. For hard to reach, stubborn spots, the garages have 1244 bags of calcium chloride pellets on hand.
Compare this inventory to what was used last year (10/012017-04/20/2018): District 12 used7,319 tons of rock salt, 40,745 gallons of salt brine, 25,969 gallons of liquid calcium chloride, and 360 bags of pellets. “We have almost three times the amount of salt and four times the amount of liquid calcium chloride that we needed last winter,” Westfall-Holbrook pointed out. “Plus, we manufacture our own salt brine, so we’re not likely to run short.”
MAINTENANCE READINESS: Materials to spread on the roads are just the beginning of winter preparedness. District 12 uses 89 trucks with plows owned by the district, plus 13 contract trucks available on call. Each of the district’s snowplows goes through rigorous maintenance and calibration. “This equipment takes a beating,” said Darold Slone, the district’s snow and ice coordinator. “Think about it: we run these machines in the worst conditions around the clock, changing operators every 16 hours. The drivers get an eight-hour break between shifts. The snowplows do not. We have to make sure each one is in the best possible condition before the first snowflake falls.”
Each snowplow has two drivers, one for each shift. These two men are responsible to make thorough checks of their equipment before each shift, a process which takes about 45 minutes. Their backup is the district’s Equipment Garage crew, a group of certified mechanics, welders, and heavy equipment technicians supervised by Scotty Tackett (no relation to Terry). Headquartered in Pikeville, the crew has mechanics placed in each county, ready to tackle all but the most serious issues. The Pikeville equipment garage keeps an inventory of parts and tools for 700 pieces of equipment and, like the materials that are spread on the pavement, this inventory is replinished well in advance of the first snowstorm.
COMMUNICATIONS: District 12 partners with the National Weather Service office in Jackson. The Jackson meteorologists focus specifically on weather events in Eastern Kentucky, using satellite, radar data, and weather spotter reports to make decisions on watches, warnings, and advisories. Before and during winter weather events, the Jackson office sets up regular conference call briefings which help us better prepare for the type of storm headed our way. Our 24-hour emergency operations center, located at the District 12 headquarters in Pikeville, is in constant contact with the superintendents at each maintenance facility and the equipment garage. When the first crew is called out, the equipment garage staff is also called out. Every crew is put on alert and called out to mobilize before the storm hits that county. Our dispatchers relay information directly to each snowplow operator. The snow and ice command center at the district office keeps the Transportation Operations Center in Frankfort advised of road conditions throughout the district.
When the first crew is called out, the district’s public information officer, Sara George, is also called out. “It is Sara’s job to notify the public, contact the media, call radio and television reporters, post on Facebook,” Slone said. “She gathers information from our command center, from the weather service in Jackson, from TOC in Frankfort, and from the maintenance superintendents and provides updates to the public so people can make wise decisions about when it is safe to be on the roadways.”
George pointed out that there are nearly 200 people at Highway District 12 who work snow and ice events. “Everyone has a specific responsibility,” she said. “I am always amazed, every year, how everyone works together. I believe the people who live and travel in our seven counties have the best of the best. The determination, dedication, experience, and skills of our people are outstanding. They truly care about doing a good job, an excellent job. When drivers partner with us, drive safely, and make sure their vehicle is winter ready, we can all get where we need to go safely, without wrecks or injuries. After all, that is the ultimate goal: to travel safely, to take care of each other on the roadways, and to survive winter storms with zero wrecks, injuries, or fatalities.”
PARTNERS IN SAFETY: If you must get out on the roads during a snow event, there are things you can do to help yourself and the snowfighters:
1. Check your vehicle before you get on the road, especially your tire pressure and battery. Low or uneven tire pressure can cause a blowout. Clean any corrosion from battery posts and cable connections; wash all surfaces with bettery terminal cleaner or a solution of baking soda and water. Have battery checked by a professional to ensure it is strong enough to face cold weather.
2. Clean your lights, front and back. Walk around and make sure all the lights are working. Check your windshield washer fluid. Make sure your windshield wipers work properly. Check your tire pressure; it affects your traction on icy, slick pavement. Slow down. You cannot drive in a safe manner wet or icy pavement at the same speed you use on dry pavement.
3 Buckle up and make sure anyone with you does the same. Make sure children are in proper child safety seats.
4. Make sure you have plenty of gas.
5. Be alert. Your main responsibility is to keep your eyes on the road. Get rid of any distractions. Put away your cell phone; using it while driving is dangerous. Do not fiddle with the heater or the radio. Fix those things before you start. Don’t try to hold a cup or something to eat while driving. Keep both hands on the steering wheel.
6. Do not pass a snowplow. Give them room to work. Stay a few car lengths behind the plow; it’s the safest place you can be.
7. On a four- or six-lane road, if all lanes are snow-covered, drive slowly in theinside lane (the lane next to the median). Snow is plowed from left to right, from the passing lane toward the shoulder.
8. Drive as though your life depends on it – because it does.
9. Treat a non-working traffic signal as a four-way stop.
WHAT TO PUT IN YOUR VEHICLE EMERGENCY KIT
Fully-charged mobile phone pre-programmed with rescue apps and important phone numbers, including:
family and emergency services
Car charger for mobile phone
Drinking water
Non-perishable snacks for both people and pets
Snow shovel
Blankets
Extra warm clothing such as coats, gloves, hats, scarves
Flashlight with extra batteries
Window washer solvent
Ice scraper with bruch
Rolle of paper towels
Jumper cables
Yellow reflective cloth or towel that can be affixed to antenna or side mirror to alert others
that you need help
