Wednesday's Internet Edition, March 10, 2010.
pose problems
for highways
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Icicles cling to a cliff along snowy Slate Run Road near Spencer. Wintry weather, including ice, snow and wind chills near zero at times, caused the cancellation of schools in Roane County on Tuesday and Wednesday. |
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Even after the snow finally melts, the effects may still be felt this summer on Roane County’s roads.
By the end of January, Roane had already seen almost 40 inches of snow. That doesn’t include another 5-6 inches that fell Saturday, and more expected this week.
Meteorologist Jeff Hovis of the National Weather Service office in Charleston said the Spencer area received a half-inch of snow in November, 17.9 inches in December and another 21.3 inches in January, bringing the three-month total to 39.7 inches.
Even before February and March are included, that far exceeds the area’s average winter snowfall of just over 25 inches.
The local Dept. of Highways garage has already used almost three times as much salt this winter as last year.
Materials aren’t the only thing that’s almost used up.
“My guys are starting to get a little tired,” county highway supervisor Gary Alvis said.
Since Dec. 18, Alvis said there have been only three days when crews haven’t been working to clear the roads.
The local DOH garage has a staff of 28, not counting office personnel, and a fleet of 14 trucks. That includes three tandem-axle dump trucks, seven single-axle trucks, three one-ton trucks and a regular pickup.
“We’re having a hard time keeping our trucks operating,” Alvis said. “With the winter we’ve had, they are really taking a beating.”
As of Tuesday, Alvis said the local DOH garage had used 2,489 tons of salt, compared to 900 tons at the same point last winter.
The garage had also used 2,046 tons of cinders, 1,180 tons of sand and 990 tons of finely crushed limestone.
“The material we use now to keep the roads open is material we can’t use later,” he said.
Due to the harsh winter, Alvis said Roane County is already $235,000 over budget.
“That’s money we’d be using in the spring to patch holes, do ditching and put stone on roads,” he said.
Alvis said salt costs $60-70 per ton, and one of the larger trucks can go through about 12 tons in a two-hour period.
Regardless of the cost, Alvis said the crews would continue to do whatever it takes.
“We’re trying to do the best we can to keep the roads open,” he said. “I’m just hoping, sooner or later, spring will get here.”
