ALLEN COUNTY, OH (WLIO) - Snow plows have been largely collecting dust this winter, and our Nathan Kitchens looks at how the mild winter is impacting highway department crews.
Chances are you may have encountered more work zones than normal on Ohio roads this winter due to the mild weather and lack of snow.
The Ohio Department of Transportation says Mother Nature normally keeps crews busy with snow and ice removal, but those days have been largely non-existent this winter. The warm weather means less pressure on the highway department's operating expenses.
"Absolutely. We're not using salt, we're not using brine which saves us material money. Also, we're putting less miles on our trucks," stated Rod Nuveman, ODOT District 1 highway management administrator.
ODOT crews have devoted their work to other projects in the district that are normally put on the back burner in winter.
"We've been able to get more crack sealing done, vegetation management, which is basically brush and tree trimming, and we've been able to do some drainage work that we've been putting off as well," added Nuveman.
The highway department says they look to winter for certain projects like tree and brush trimming. Bats that roost in trees either migrate south or hibernate in the cold months. Odot says a mild winter is a win-win as far as getting ahead on other projects and saving dollars. Odot knows the season is far from over, and the forecast is showing snow chances in the next week. The department is bracing for an uptick in winter operations later this season.
"We're looking for more snow in February and March, as well as some colder temperatures. We're not ready to put the plows away yet, but we like these mild January days," said Nuveman.
