Snow-Covered Mountain Tops Kick off Snow and Ice Season in District 12
Pike, Letcher, Floyd, Martin, Lawrence, Knott and Johnson Counties
HIGHWAY DISTRICT 12 (Nov. 22, 2022) Snow-covered Mountain tops made an appearance in District 12 last week signaling the start of snow and ice season for the Transportation Cabinet across the state. Low temps had crews out early in Letcher County spot treating Pine Mountain and surrounding areas as months of preparation turned to action. It’s snow time, folks and District 12 is ready.
“Our men and women have spent months getting ready for winter,” said Mary Westfall-Holbrook, D12 chief district engineer. “The salt domes are full; liquid calcium chloride tanks are topped off; the men have made thousands of gallons of brine.”
A, B, C PRIORITY SYSTEM: Highway District 12 covers 2,145 miles of roadway. Roadway miles are different from lane miles. Counting four-lane roads and three-lane sections, D12 snow fighters are responsible for more than 4,550 lane miles of pavement.
Westfall-Holbrook explained that the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has a system that dictates the order in which roads are cleared during a winter storm. “Roads are designated A, B, or C according to traffic counts and how many homes and businesses are served by each highway. We also consider the main routes that first responders need to access when emergencies happen; people need to get to a hospital, there is a fire or some other life-threatening situation.
Snow and Ice Priority Maps are available by county on the Transportation Cabinet’s website: https://transportation.ky.gov/sites/snowky Click on the Snow Priority Routes box. Some roads are split; in other words, part of the road may be an A route and other parts a B route.
MATERIALS INVENTORY: Terry Cole Tackett is responsible for the district’s snow and ice materials inventory. Storage domes currently hold 22,893 tons of rock salt in the 10 maintenance facilities positioned throughout District 12’s seven counties: Lawrence, Johnson, Martin, Floyd, Knott, Pike, and Letcher. Calcium chloride tanks are brimming with 93,140 gallons of the liquid snow-fighting chemical. More than 57,671 gallons of brine wait to be used in advance of a storm to prevent ice from bonding with the pavement. The garages have 1,220 bags of calcium chloride pellets on hand for hard-to-reach, stubborn spots.
MAINTENANCE READINESS: Materials to spread on the roads are just the beginning of winter preparedness. District 12 uses 120 trucks with plows owned by the district. Each of the district’s snowplows goes through rigorous maintenance and calibration. “This equipment takes a beating,” said Darold Slone, the district’s snow and ice coordinator. “Think about it: we run these machines in the worst conditions around the clock, changing operators every 12-16 hours. The drivers get a minimum eight-hour break between shifts. The snowplows do not. We have to ensure each one is in the best possible condition before the first snowflake falls.”
Each snowplow has two drivers, one for each shift. These two men are responsible for thoroughly checking their equipment before each change, which takes about 45 minutes. Their backup is the district’s Equipment Garage crew, a group of certified mechanics, welders, and heavy equipment technicians supervised by Scotty Tackett (no relation to Terry). The equipment garage staff is called out when the first crew is called out. Every crew is put on alert and called out to mobilize before the storm hits that county.
COMMUNICATIONS: District 12 partners with the National Weather Service office in Jackson. The Jackson meteorologists focus specifically on weather events in Eastern Kentucky, using satellite, radar data, and weather spotter reports to make decisions on watches, warnings, and advisories. The Jackson office sets up regular conference call briefings which help us better prepare for the type of storm headed our way. Our 24-hour emergency operations center is in constant contact with the superintendents at each maintenance facility and the equipment garage—our dispatchers relay information directly to each snowplow operator.
The district’s Public Information Officer, Shantana Woodward, is also called out. “Shantana notifies the public, manages our social media pages, alerts radio and other media about current conditions, and keeps everyone informed on road closures,” Slone said. “She gathers information from all our sources and provides updates so people can make wise decisions about when it is safe to be on the roadways.”
Woodward pointed out that nearly 250 people at Highway District 12 work snow and ice events. “I’m proud of our team here in D-12. I’ve seen them work long hours in some of the most challenging conditions time and time again. They possess both dedication and skill, and it’s remarkable to see them in action. Remember that they have families who travel these roads too, so safety is a top priority. Motorists can partner with us by driving slowly, avoiding distractions, and giving our plows plenty of room to work.”
PARTNERS IN SAFETY: If you must get out on the roads, there are a few things you can do to prepare. James Bowen, Safety Coordinator at District 12, offers these tips for staying safe during a snow and ice event:
- Check your tire pressure; it affects your traction on icy, slick pavement. Slow down. You cannot drive safely on wet or icy pavement at the same speed you use on dry pavement.
- Clean your lights, front and back. Walk around and make sure all the lights are working. Check your windshield washer fluid. Make sure your windshield wipers work properly.
- Buckle up and make sure anyone with you does the same. Make sure children are in proper child safety seats.
- Make sure you have plenty of gas.
- Stay alert. Your main responsibility is to keep your eyes on the road. Get rid of any distractions. Put away your cell phone; using it while driving is dangerous. Do not fiddle with the heater or the radio.
- Do not pass a snowplow. Give them room to work. Stay a few car lengths behind the plow; it’s the safest place you can be.
- On a four- or six-lane road, if all lanes are snow-covered, drive slowly in the inside lane (the lane next to the median). Snow is plowed from left to right, from the passing lane toward the shoulder.
- Treat a non-working traffic signal as a four-way stop.
- Drive as though your life depends on it – because it does.
Get up-to-date traffic advisories for KYTC Highway District 12 by going to https://www.facebook.com/KYTCD12 or sign up for alerts via email or text by visiting https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/KYTC/subscriber/new and look for the list of District 12 counties. Check your spam filtering to assure Gov Delivery is on your approved email list.
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