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Never too early to prepare for winter
As soon as the rush of summer work was finished up in mid-September, Road Services Division staff began thinking about the winter ahead. A winter-prep day was recently held at each of the division’s regional maintenance yards. The maintenance staff spent part of the day in the classroom learning about updated emergency response plans – including snow and ice, flooding, wind, and earthquake. Then, it was outside to practice with the equipment that is used to keep the roads cleared during winter storms. The county’s inventory of storm-response gear includes 47 heavy-equipment rigs that plow snow, de-ice roads, push fallen trees, and many that can be specialized to the task at hand.
“We find these practice days make the actual storm response go much smoother,” said Leo Griffin, assistant Roads Maintenance manager. “During a big storm, we could have more than 200 people out in the field. This is a very practical way to handle training and get us all in the right frame of mind for winter.” Outside of the practice drills, maintenance crews are also out in the field checking known problem areas. Griffin says these include spots where the hillsides are prone to sliding, where roadsides abut streams that can washout the shoulders, and checking for any new cracking or buckling in county roads. “Even though we are responsible for more than 1,800 miles of roads in the unincorporated areas, our staff is very familiar with the road system and can tell quickly if a situation has changed over time,” said Griffin. “During the early fall, they are traveling around the county getting a baseline check before the storm season starts.” As we enter the storm season, residents can help protect roads and property from flooding by clearing leaves and other debris from storm drains during heavy rain. Residents can also help by reporting problems with roads, traffic signals or signage in their unincorporated neighborhoods. The Roads Division staffs a telephone hotline 24/7 and encourages people to call in when they see a problem. The number is (206) 296-8100 or 1-800-KC-ROADS (800-527-6237). |
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