Snow removal policies explained
With the winter season fast approaching, the Pierce County Highway Department submitted the following to advise residents about the county’s policies on snow removal.
With the winter season fast approaching, the Pierce County Highway Department submitted the following to advise residents about the county’s policies on snow removal.
Why don’t the plows run all night?
For county highways, the Pierce County Highway Department follows the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) policy for the state highways in Pierce County, for which the department does the plowing and maintenance. The state highways are Category V (five), or “18-hour” roads. Plowing and maintenance are restricted to the hours of 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. For numerous reasons, including resources and safety to the public and workers, there is no activity between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., except as authorized by the DOT.
How do the plows know when to go out?
Beginning after Thanksgiving, weather depending, the highway department has two night maintenance personnel monitoring road and weather conditions, each with a separate shift. The two night shifts span from 3 p.m. to 6 a.m., providing 24-hour coverage for the roads beginning Sunday night and ending Friday night. Each weekend, a manager is on call. Much of the road information during off-hours is provided to the highway department from the sheriff’s department, which has vehicles traveling throughout the county. Based on current conditions and forecasts, maintainers are dispatched from the Ellsworth and five outlying shops to respective state and county beats.
For more please read the Nov. 28 print version of the Herald.
Tags: local government, news, government, wisconsin
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