A backhoe in the hands of Light Equipment Operator Lonnie Johnson dumps salt into a truck driven by Laborer V James Payne outside the salt dome at Public Works’ headquarters at 1730 Russell St. Earlier in the day, drivers dumped a brine solution on hills, bridges, and other problem areas.
Salt trucks loaded, drivers rested for expected storm
COVINGTON, Ky. – The “dome” is filled to the top with about 1,800 tons of road salt (minus what’s been divvied out into the beds of trucks). Bridges, hills, and other problem areas have been pre-treated with liquid brine. Salt spinners have been attached to trucks. And drivers are home resting, ready to be called in overnight.
In short, whatever wintry weather hits Covington tonight, Public Works crews are ready for it.
“The forecast has been all over the place this week, but right now it’s calling for a little more than an inch of snow, so that’s what we’re preparing for,” said Fleet Division Supervisor Steve Hedger, the City’s “Snow Commander” for this storm, on Friday afternoon. “But we’ll adapt to whatever happens.”
Earlier in the week, Public Works installed salt spinners on its trucks, rather than the plows that would be used for heavy snows, and tuned up any final calibrations.
Friday, crews pre-treated problem areas, while a backhoe dumped road salt into the beds of the assortment of trucks that will service roads as the storm hits, including big Freightliner and Kenworth T350 dump trucks, smaller Ford F550 dump trucks, and Ford F350 pickup trucks with V-boxes.
Hedger said the first half of the City’s Snow & Ice Team – some 18 employees -- will be called in initially, with the other half on call. In all, drivers will run 16 separate routes instead of the 15 in past years. A route that includes the main thoroughfares north of 20th Street has been separated out to get more frequent treatment.
“Our response is good, but we’re always looking to improve it,” Hedger said. “We’re ready.”
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