ODOT uses technology to battle winter

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The Ohio Department of Transportation has always relied on well-maintained equipment and well-trained and motivated employees to keep Ohio highways clear during the winter — that, and tons of rock salt.

More and more, though, those traditional tools are being combined with new chemical technology, as well as advances in weather technology and equipment to provide the best response to winter weather events.

ODOT District 1, an eight-county district that includes Van Wert, as well as Allen, Defiance, Hancock, Hardin, Paulding, Putnam, and Wyandot counties, had its annual winter equipment inspection this week, with the Van Wert County garage inspected Thursday morning.

Kirk Slusher, deputy director of ODOT District 1, said this year’s inspection targeted ODOT’s older equipment, although he said what equipment is inspected varies from year to year to ensure that all equipment is tested on a regular basis.

“We mix it up,” Slusher said of the inspections, adding that inspectors look for potential electrical and mechanical problems, although he added some problems will likely show up during winter operations.

“Most of our winter equipment has been sitting idle since March,” Slusher added. “Although the dump trucks get used year-round, there are certain things we need to gear up for them to be ready for winter preparation.”

In addition to the purchase of bigger and better equipment, including more tandem-wheel trucks, ODOT District Deputy Director Kirk Slusher said newer technology, such as MARCS radios, GPS equipment, and weather-related equipment is being implemented to provide better communications and information that can help ODOT do its job better.

Van Wert County Garage Manager Don Taylor said the county was one of seven counties statewide who are participating in a pilot project involving the installation of GPS equipment in its trucks. Taylor said having GPS equipment in the trucks should provide him with much better data on where each truck is at a given time, as well as other data.

Data from the GPS program will be sent to the University of Akron, where students and faculty will analyze and interpret the information.

Installation of MARCS radios last year also makes communicating with each vehicle easier, Taylor noted, while he has a new device in his pickup truck that allows him to measure the thickness of the ice while driving the highways.

Slusher and Taylor both said they’re hoping for a milder winter than the last two record-breaking years. While ODOT typically uses an average of 650,000 tons of salt and spends $56 million on snow and ice operations, the last two winters have resulted in salt usage of nearly 1 million tons, with approximately $120 million spent on snow and ice operations each of those years.

Slusher noted that all salt storage facilities in the district are full, with approximately 40,000 tons of salt on hand, with signed contracts to purchase another 22,000 tons if needed. The good news is salt is cheaper this year. After paying out an average of $105 a ton last year, this year’s price was approximately $85 a ton, he said.

Statewide, ODOT has 277 salt barns stocked with more than 700,000 tons of salt.

While both Slusher and Taylor are hoping that a strong El Nino weather system helps make this winter a milder one, Slusher had only one thing to say when asked what he thinks will happen this winter.

“I think we’ll be ready for whatever comes,” he noted with a smile.