Despite
a lull in the winter storms that have pounded the Commonwealth, the
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KyTC) has advised its 12 highway
districts to conserve salt supplies and focus on other conservation
efforts in combating further snow and ice this season.
“Our
snow plow operators are carrying a heavier burden in clearing our
highways,” said KyTC Secretary Mike Hancock. “It’s a real challenge,
but our crews are working hard to ensure our roads are safe and
passable.”
Currently,
the cabinet has less than 70,000 tons of salt on hand statewide.
Historically, this amount has been more than enough for riding out the
winter. But the cabinet wants to ensure that each county has enough salt
to handle another snow and ice event.
To
level supplies, salt has been shifted among highway districts, and the
state’s emergency reserve, stored at the Mega Cavern in Louisville, has
also been tapped. Plow operators have concentrated on clearing priority
A routes first and transitioning to B and C routes afterward. The
cabinet will reassess the distribution of salt if another snow and ice
event occurs.
A
national salt shortage, delays in salt deliveries and wave after wave
of winter storms have hampered the cabinet’s snow and ice removal
efforts. The cabinet has ordered more than 90,000 tons of salt, and
shipments are expected in the coming weeks. As salt deliveries trickle
in, the cabinet has implemented conservation methods to preserve
supplies.
These include:
· During
a wet snow with moderate temperatures (25 degrees and warmer), crews
should be able to rely strictly on plowing operations to combat
accumulation on roadways. Once the snowfall has ended and it is
daylight, crews can begin light applications of salt in the cleanup
phase.
· Reducing
application rates when applying salt. In most cases, an application
rate of 180-200 pounds of salt per 2-lane mile would be sufficient
during cleanup efforts. The customary application rate would be 250-400
lbs of salt per 2-lane mile.
· On
lower priority routes, where possible, crews can blend sand or small
aggregates with the salt to extend supplies. In most cases, crews have
to rely on plowing operations and warming temperatures to completely
clear these routes.
This
season, the cabinet has used more than 410,000 tons of salt, compared
with 160,000 tons at this point in 2013. Snow and ice operations have
cost the cabinet more than $53 million this year.
