The Starke County Highway Department has been working hard to get ready for the impending winter, and Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler told WKVI that they’ve hauled in all 3000 tons of their sand and their salt contract is ready. He said the department has been checking their equipment as they get ready for winter operations, including switching to winter-grade gas and oil and prepping snowplows.
Ritzler said he also called plow drivers in because of the possible snow today, and with the trucks ready and snowplows on, they’re ready for whatever winter may bring. However, Ritzler said he is hoping for a mild season.
“We got all the trucks ready. We got the snowplows on. The guys have sand and salt in the back of their beds and they have their trucks at home, ready to go. We’re ready for it, though hopefully we won’t get too much bad snow in the next couple months and we can ease into the winter,” Ritzler said.
Ritzler said the department has 16 areas and 16 trucks with regular routes. In addition to that, he said the department boasts three pickup trucks with plows and two spare trucks to help cover the department’s 688 miles of roads to plow.
