This is Winter Weather Preparedness Week in Indiana.
The Indiana Department of Transportation started preparing for the upcoming winter season soon after the last of the snow and ice melted last spring. INDOT officials say their top winter priority is removing snow and preventing ice on more than 11,000 miles of interstates, U.S. highways and state routes.
Last winter, INDOT used more than 211 tons of granular salt and more than 2.8 million gallons of salt brine on state and federal highways. INDOT officials say they already have more than 225,000 tons on hand for this winter season.
Additionally new salt storage facilities built near Logansport and Monticello will provide a higher storage capacity and much quicker and safer salt loading for improved efficiency during their winter operations.
INDOT has also added 72 new trucks to its fleet this year along with 12 new tow plows, which will make 22 available for this winter. The tow plow is pulled behind and to the side of a INDOT plow truck, allowing one driver to clear two lanes at once.
Mechanics also recently completed inspections of snow and ice equipment to ensure it is in good mechanical order.
Additionally INDOT has been aggressively hiring seasonal and full-time workers over the past few months. Applications are still being accepted for some locations at www.in.gov/indot/3163.htm.
Both plow operators and supervisors attend classroom training to learn new technology and techniques. Plow operators are already familiarizing themselves with their snow routes. Operational planning meetings are being completed this month with Indiana State Police and local officials.
