County using road mix as fast as it arrives
Logan County Highway Department employee Cole Craig uses a front end loader Tuesday to sift though the county’s road mix, which contains grit and salt. Highway crews have been using salt as fast as it comes in to keep roads clear, Engineer Scott Coleman reports. (EXAMINER PHOTOS | REUBEN MEES)
The salt storage bins at the Logan County Highway Garage were nearly empty Tuesday afternoon as highway crews spent another day treating the 370 miles of county roads for snow and ice accumulation.
“We are using up salt as it comes in,” Logan County Engineer Scott Coleman said. “After our guys loaded out today, we had about 200 tons of mixed grit here and a very small amount — maybe 15 tons — of unmixed salt left.”
A lighter-than-normal amount of snow last winter left Logan and other counties with healthy stockpiles, but those were depleted quickly, Coleman said.
“We went through all of the salt we had stockpiled from last year, which was equivalent to going into winter with 1,400 tons” he said noting that the reserves were spread among the county garage at 1991 County Road 13, and depots at East Liberty, Quincy and Lakeview. “We had storms at the end of December and everyone placed orders at the same time.
Deliveries have been arriving daily and have been sufficient to keep the county’s 13 main snow trucks running on schedule, but the margin has been close, Coleman said.
“The problem we are seeing statewide is trucking,” the engineer said. “Everyone is in the same boat. Ohio Department of Transportation is coordinating where the trucks go and Cargill has 80 to 90 percent of the state they are supplying.
“We’ve got more on order, it’s just a matter of Cargill and the trucking companies getting it here.
Read complete story in Wednesday’s Examiner.
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