King County Department of Transportation Road Services crews hook up a snowplow blade as they prepare to begin clearing roads

The new year has barely begun, but already King County has experienced some cold temperatures and a taste of snow and ice. These chilly weather conditions are keeping crews from the King County Department of Transportation's Road Services Division busy around the clock.

"From the latter part of last week, we've had several crews on duty 24-7," said Tony Ledbetter, Roads maintenance superintendent. "It's been extra challenging because the conditions have varied so much between the different areas of the county."

Late last week, Ledbetter was busy moving crews and equipment from the west side of the county to the east. "We had one morning where everything in the east was a sheet of ice at 4 a.m., but the roads on the west side weren't even wet," he said. "We had to move equipment and workers from the Kent area to our Fall City maintenance facility to keep up with all the sanding requests."

After an early morning snowfall Sunday, the crews and equipment were more concentrated in North King County. Ledbetter and his staff always have to be ready to respond quickly and with flexibility.

Normally, the county has few workers on duty on the overnight shift, so adding workers around the clock in the winter months requires split shifts and overtime. Preparation in the fall months is the key to making sure the work gets done efficiently as possible.

Crews at each of the 10 maintenance facilities conduct a day of drills usually in October or November to make sure they know how to hook up the snowplows, chain the sanders, and ensure that all equipment is working properly in advance of the bad weather. You don't want to discover a bolt is broken or a chain is missing when you're hustling to beat the snow. And, you want to be able to get ready with the speed and efficiency of a NASCAR pit crew.

The county's inventory of equipment includes 32 snowplows, 11 graders, and four de-icing trucks assigned to patrol more than 2,620 miles of roadway both in unincorporated King County and eight contract cities.

Running heavy equipment in cold weather presents its own set of challenges. Ledbetter said it's typical for a sanding truck to go through a set of chains in one shift. The rubber snowplow blades have to be adjusted constantly to keep them at the right angle to scrape different roads. But the biggest headache is when it's so cold the sand freezes. He said about the only way to fix that problem is with a lot of back-breaking labor involving shovels and pick axes.

And, even a sander or snowplow is not immune to icy road conditions.

"We depend a lot on our mechanics to fix problems in the field, or to drive the wrecker miles out to the rural areas to pull our equipment out of the snow," said Ledbetter. "Cold weather is just really, really tough on our equipment."

When it comes to clearing roads, the first priority is the lifeline routes, usually the main arterials that go by schools, hospitals, and bus routes, plus freeway ramps and access points. When the snow and ice continues to hang around, Road crews monitor the priority routes on a regular basis to keep them as clear of snow and ice as possible. Some roadways may require sanding and plowing as many as six or seven times within a 12-hour shift.

Although it is difficult to utilize crews to sand and plow lower-priority residential roadways, they do make every attempt to clear steep access roads in heavily populated areas. Crews also try to sand problematic or dangerous intersections, curves, and steep hills.

Residents are encouraged to report problems on roads in unincorporated King County by calling (206) 296-8100, or 1-800-KC ROADS if you live outside the greater Seattle calling area.

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Metro will observe the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, Jan. 17. Most Metro bus routes will operate on a regular weekday schedule, but there is reduced service on some peak-commute routes and those serving the University of Washington. Sunday and family fares will be in effect on all Metro routes.

Reduced service includes the cancellation of the following routes: 45, 46, 76, 77, 79, 133, 167, 197, 202, 205, 272, 277, 304, 308, 311 and 373.

When the University of Washington is not in session, Metro cancels designated trips on the following routes: 65, 67, 68, 271, 372 and ST 540.

School Custom Bus routes are cancelled.

The Waterfront Streetcar will operate on a regular weekday schedule, and the bus tunnel will be open.

All Metro business offices, including Metro's Rider Information call center, will be closed

Check Metro Online for all the details.

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Here is a list of King County Department of Transportation projects that may disrupt traffic and travel in the coming weeks:

South 277th Street, between Auburn and Kent Motorists may experience periodic traffic disruptions on South 277th Street between the West Valley Highway and 72nd Avenue South through October 2005 as a result of a major reconstruction project.

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