After weekend storm, MDOT prepares for more chilling weather
SALISBURY, Md. — The Maryland State Highway Administration worked to keep roads clear over the weekend, but the job is not done yet with another storm expected this coming weekend.
Maryland Department of Transportation District Engineer Mark Crampton said, “Statewide at the peak, we had some 800 to 900 pieces of state equipment and about 1,800 pieces of hired equipment, so roughly 2,700 to 2,800 pieces statewide at its peak.”
In Wicomico County, about 150 people worked to keep roads clear after the winter storm. Crampton said the Eastern Shore was fortunate to get rain.
“That was good to help soften up the snow so we could plow it,” Crampton said. “A lot of our shoulders got pushed back this morning. A lot of our medians and crossovers, turn lanes, things like that that are slow to get done — they’re all done. So, we’re in good shape.”
Rain combined with below-freezing temperatures raises concerns of ice. Crampton said MDOT crews will be spot-treating areas of concern.
“They know those troublesome areas, and they’ll go there looking, and maybe I’ve got to just put a little bit of salt or something right there,” Crampton said.
The job is not finished heading into the next round of winter weather.
“We think that if there’s another potential weather event, you know, do we pretreat like we did Friday and Saturday — this event where you see the lines on the road — maybe. And it’s going to be cold all week, so we think if something falls, it would be winter precip. It’s not going to rain.”
He said the best storm preparation is to drive only in emergencies and to completely clean snow from your vehicle. MDOT continues preparing by tracking weather closely.
“We’re always planning days ahead to make sure our equipment’s back up, and our salt supply is plentiful. We make plenty of brine solution, so we’re ready to go when the flakes start flying.”
MDOT also has online locators that people can use to see where crews have been active at incidents, here is the link.
