Springfield’s service department, which is in charge of road maintenance within the city, annually begins preparing snowplows at the beginning of October, according to service director Chris Moore.
The department’s 35 vehicles are available to use as plows if the weather calls for their need, and up to 90 employees are available to help clear ice and snow from the city’s 14 snow routes, Moore said.
Staffing levels at the service department are also in “good shape,” according to Moore, despite the holiday approaching.
“Our staff realizes that they have to be ready when nature comes calling,” he said.
The Clark County Engineer’s Office has also been gearing up for the expected ice and snow, prepping its plows for nearly 310 miles of roadway on county routes.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
Ten or more plows will be running at all times as the office’s 20 employees work in 12-hour shifts to clear roads, according to chief deputy engineer Paul DeButy.
Townships and other municipalities within Clark County will also be clearing roads within their borders, DeButy said.
The Ohio Department of Transportation will plowing area roads, but department leaders say clearing regional roadways may take longer than past years as the state contends with what officials call a nationwide snowplow driver shortage.
Matt Bruning, a spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Transportation, said those shortages are more likely to impact urban areas, where there are both more roadways and more competition for commercial driver’s license holders.
ODOT’s District 7 covers Clark and several other counties in the Miami Valley region.
Bruning said a labor shortage won’t stop the department from meeting its obligations but suggested that residents might have to alter their expectations regarding snow removal.
“The key takeaway for Ohioans is to know that we will absolutely take care of all 43,000 lane miles across the state that we are tasked with taking care of,” Bruning said. “What you might notice is that it might take a little longer to get that job done.”
Freezing temperatures, high winds and potential rainfall complicate snow and ice removal this weekend.
Salt is not as effective when temperatures fall below freezing, and both the Clark County Engineer’s Office and the Springfield service department will be using additives to help make salt more efficient in melting ice.
Moore said the dropping temperatures put the area at a greater risk of water main breaks, too. He said people should call the city service department if they see water flowing onto the street.
High-speed wind will also shift snow around roadways, and roads that were plowed may be covered in snow shortly after, DeButy.
DeButy urged people to frequently check the status of snow emergencies, which would be announced by the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, this weekend. If people must travel, he reminded motorists to give snowplows adequate space as they work to clear roadways throughout the county.
Moore also reminded city residents to disconnect garden hoses before the freezing temperatures arrive.
Avery Kreemer contributed to this report.
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