NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 19, 2016
MEDIA CONTACT: Brian Boder, Deputy Public Works Director
218-625-3836
Public Works crews making progress after heavy snowfall
St. Louis County Public Works crews continue to put in long hours to clear as much as two feet of snow from the county's 3,000 miles of roads. Snow plow operators were out by 4 a.m. in some parts of the County, and by nightfall all paved county roads had been cleared, with the exception of one - McCarthy Beach Road north of Chisholm - where a downed tree and power line still block the road.
Continued snow and high winds Friday night erased much of the progress that had been made earlier Friday, so in many cases, plow operators reported it was as if they were starting over with clearing snow and applying salt and sand.
Among the anecdotal stories from overnight: a snowplow operator assisted the Kabetogama Fire Department at 1:30 a.m., clearing a road to enable firefighters to respond to an emergency call.
Several snow plow operators had to be picked up by colleagues due to being snowed in themselves.
Using motor graders and loaders, Public Works was also able to make good progress on many of the County's gravel roads. Operators needed to use the lighter vehicles because the ground is not yet frozen. The heavy weight of traditional snow plows would have damaged gravel roads and private driveways. The limited number of motor graders and loaders in the fleet has caused delays in clearing gravel roads and the private driveways of residents who contract with the County for plowing services.
Public Works crews will be back out early Sunday morning.
"We thank people for their continued patience," said Jim Foldesi, St. Louis County Public Works Director. "Our snow plow operators are working long hours and have a lot of ground to cover. This was a big storm that dumped a significant amount of snow across the majority of the County."
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