December 19, 2012 2:12 PM
The Streets Division has a plan in place for the impending storm that will start this evening and last until late Thursday afternoon. This storm is expected to dump 10 to 15 inches of wet heavy snow in our area. The storm will be accompanied by high winds which will hamper visibility and make clearing streets a challenge.
We have been putting down salt brine during the day on main streets and bridge decks. This will help prevent the early snow from bonding to the pavement before our salt trucks get on the road. We plan to have 26 trucks out on our salt routes when the snow begins to fall. At midnight we will increase that to 30 trucks, again working only on our salt routes.
At 5 a.m. we plan to put an additional 30 trucks on the road in an effort to keep the main streets passable. We will supplement that with another 20 to 30 trucks at 7 a.m.
The morning rush hour will be a challenge for drivers who should find the main roads open, but residential streets will remain unplowed until the snowfall stops. Drivers should allow extra time for their morning commute. You should also be aware that blowing snow will be a significant hazard. You should approach all intersections with caution and is you cannot clearly see a traffic signal assume the light is red and prepare to stop.
We plan to begin plowing residential streets using contractors as soon as the snow stops. We will keep City crews on the main streets until they are open and then shift those crews over to the residential streets.
The wet, heavy snow will require three passes to clear a street. The snow conditions will also lead to snow boulders that will block driveways and cross walks. We will not be clearing out driveways, that is the responsibility of the property owner.
We estimate that it will take us 12 to 16 hours to complete this plowing operation as opposed to the usual 8 to 10 hours. This is due to the wet snow and the high winds accompanying the storm.
We will not declare a snow emergency tonight, but expect that we will have a snow emergency in effect for both Thursday and Friday evenings as we clean up after the storm. We ask that residents get all vehicles off the street if possible. For more information visit https://www.cityofmadison.com/residents/winter/parking/
Chris Kelley, Streets Superintendent