How ODOT prepares for the coming winter

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Columbus saw its first snowflakes of the season Tuesday night, so it’s fitting that on Wednesday morning, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) had its Operational Readiness Day at the Hilliard Garage.

Plow drivers went through a 150-point inspection of each truck, making sure they are ready to go when that first major snowstorm hits.

“They check the full truck over,” Hannah Salem, ODOT public information officer, said. “They look at the plows, they look at the engine, the calibration of the truck, making sure that everything is aligned, making sure that the plow can drop and be in the right space. There’s a lot of different things that go into it but, really, just making sure everything is functioning as it should be before snow and ice hits.”

These inspections help protect both plow drivers and other vehicles on the road during a snowstorm.

“This is important because we really just want to make sure that all of our equipment is up and running and calibrated for the winter season so our crews can be ready when that first storm comes,” Salem said.

Each ODOT garage has one of these winter preparedness days so plows anywhere in Ohio are ready to go at a moment’s notice.

Salem said ODOT is prepared for the snow and ice this winter.

“The way that we purchase salt and make our brine is based on previous years’ numbers and averages, so we’re really prepared for whatever Mother Nature has to throw at us this winter,” she said.

Salem said ODOT has 20,000 tons of salt just in Franklin County ready to hit the roadways.