Cuts will affect snow removal

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Cuts to the Wyoming Department of Transportation budget will affect its ability to continually remove snow from all routes in District 4, which includes Weston County, according to a Nov. 10 press release. 
“With the budget constraints the department is currently facing, WYDOT has identified six levels of service and the routes that fall under those levels to help manage and work within those budget constraints while still maintaining adequate levels of service for plowing,” the release says. “Within these constraints, highways will be plowed, but they may remain snow covered at times and overnight plowing may not happen or be minimized depending on the timing of a snow event.” 
Priorities on the highways will be the travel and passing lanes, with road shoulders and approaches being secondary, the release notes. The department will use traction control materials such as salt/sand and liquid and granular de-icing products, although the release says that there is a budgeted amount for the purchase of the products. 
“We will have to strictly adhere to our winter maintenance budget, which means there likely won’t be any wiggle room to go over budget if we have a particularly severe winter,” WYDOT supervisor Luke Reiner said in the release. “However, we will continue to provide winter maintenance services based on our limited budget.” 
According to information provided by Laura Dalles, public involvement specialist for District 4, interstates and school bus routes will take priority as far as plowing goes. She noted that each district worked closely with the local school districts to ensure that designated bus routes receive service, with the hopes of keeping them safe and open. 
All highways located within Weston County, according to a snow removal plan provided by the department, will be designated as level 2, receiving approximately 16 hours of service. 
“We will strive to provide service up to 16 hours per day for traffic observing reasonable winter driving precautions. Plowing methods and frequency will be sufficient to keep the road clear of snow and slush and minimize drifting,” according to the plan. 
Dalles said that the service a roadway will receive will also depend on the district the roadway is in, as well as the local daily traffic volume and/or the primary road usage. She said that the only roadway in District 4 that will receive 24 hours of service is Interstate 80, while Interstates 90 and 25 will receive approximately 20 hours of service. 
Cleanup operations after a snowstorm, according to the release, will only be performed during scheduled working hours and only after all other levels of snow control service have been accomplished in the district. 
“This operation includes the clearing of any snow block approaches, removal of drifted areas off the roadway, snow piles at intersections and turnarounds and other necessary cleanup,” the release says.  
WYDOT also reminds drivers to help keep plow drivers and others safe while driving on winter road conditions. 
“When encountering a snow plow, be sure your headlights are on, so you are more visible to the plow drivers and others. Slow down. Travel a safe distance behind the plow to avoid crowding and sand striking your vehicle,” the release says. “Don’t chance passing unless the path ahead of you is absolutely clear, many times the road ahead is worse.”