It’s worth it: Ohio Department of Transportation prepares for winter | News, sports, jobs

Snow plow trucks line up at ODOT District 10 headquarters in Marietta. The district has 23 trucks and 27 drivers available for this year’s winter snow and ice. (Photo by Jess Mancini)

MARIETTA — Trucks and snow plows were checked and inspected Monday at the Ohio Department of Transportation’s District 10 headquarters in Marietta, where mechanics and drivers prepared for the upcoming winter.

While crews in District 10 and around Ohio will be ready to remove snow and ice, the best advice for residents is to keep an eye out for slow-moving plows and get out of the way, said highway technician Eric Gandee. from District 10.

“Move, slower” Gandée said. “And stay home if you don’t have to be traveling.”

ODOT conducts equipment inspections each year across the state and includes safety checks of snow plows, trucks and equipment, hiring additional mechanics and drivers, and ensuring salt tanks are full and ready when winter arrives. According to the department of transportation, the first day of measurable snow is in early November in northern Ohio and late November in southern Ohio.

Statewide, 22 plow trucks were crashed on roads last winter, four fewer than in previous years, ODOT said.

Mike Love, left, and John Blair, mechanics with the Ohio Department of Transportation in Marietta, participated Monday in annual safety and equipment inspections conducted before severe winter weather hits. (Photo by Jess Mancini)

Giving snowplows a wide berth can help prevent accidents, said District 10 spokeswoman Ashley Rittenhouse.

“We travel slower than most traffic” she said.

Washington County has 23 plow trucks, 27 full-time and seasonal drivers, three mechanics and 10,080 tons of salt, Rittenhouse said.

“We hired some extras for the winter to make sure we have enough staff.” she said.

Last year, for the 2023-24 winter season, snow and ice operations involved crews traveling 37,633 miles in 3,871 hours in Washington County, spreading 2,423 tons of salt and using 97,400 gallons of deicer for pretreatment and treatment of Ohio and US routes outside of cities, the transportation department said.

Travis Childress, ODOT District 10 mechanic in Marietta with a plow featuring artwork from Waterford High School students. Crews conducted equipment inspections and safety checks Monday in preparation for ice and snow removal this winter. (Photo by Jess Mancini)

Among the district’s priority roads are Interstate 77, US 50 and high-traffic highways, Rittenhouse said.

The routes are predetermined and most drivers are experienced, Gandee said. Refresher courses are also held every year, he stated.

“This is a family activity for us,” Gandée said.

Jess Mancini can be reached at [email protected].

Eric Gandee poses with his truck in the ODOT District 10 garage in Marietta. Inspections and safety checks were carried out on Monday to ensure the equipment would be ready when winter arrives. (Photo by Jess Mancini)

A message on a snowplow greets the driver with “Have a nice day.” (Photo by Jess Mancini)

Jesse Kehl, of the Ohio Department of Transportation’s District 10 headquarters in Marietta, performs an equipment check Monday during the annual inspection of ice and snow plows and equipment. (Photo by Jess Mancini)