BOISE, Idaho — Treasure Valley streets may be clear now, but winter driving conditions are right around the corner.
"Right now, we are in winter operations," said Lloyd Carnegie, Ada County Highway District (ACHD)maintenance manager. "We are ready for anything Mother Nature will throw at us."
Carnegie said ACHD started preparing for the winter season over the summer. Two weeks ago, workers went through seasonal operations training.
"The training included going through all of the different equipment and ensuring people know how they all work," he said.
"[Workers] also go through their routes during this warm weather," Carnegie said. "So, they get to know these routes, where every manhole is, where the steel grate is, all the turns. So, they can do it efficiently when they're coming in at three o'clock in the morning and having to do it in the dark.”
The Idaho Transportation Department(ITD) is also ready for the season. ITD plows the state highway system and the interstates.
In the Treasure Valley, that includes Highway 21, Highway 55 and local highways like Eagle Road, State Street and Chinden, spokesperson Ellen Mattila said.
"Workers are already clearing snow off of highways in northern Idaho," she said.
Mattila said ITD recently started its plow conversion, putting plows on the front of dump trucks used year-round around the Treasure Valley. Salt spreaders are also added to the back.
"Last winter was really snowy," Mattila said. "Snow was up, man hours were up, salt use was up last year. So, it was good training if the same thing happens this year."
ACHD typically responds to about 22 storm events during the winter season. Carnegie said, last year, they responded to more than 40.
However, he said many people thought it was a reasonably mild winter because of how hard the ACHD team worked. Carnegie credits the ACHD maintenance team.
"[They] come in early, get out, address the roads, and then get back in the yard before anybody even is awake during the day," he said, "and a lot of people don't even realize that we had a storm event, but we addressed it and made the road safe for everybody."
Regardless of what winter looks like this year, Carnegie thinks they are well prepared.
"If you think back to the Snowmageddon days," he said, "we only had about 12 snowplows. This year, we're at 43 snowplows. So, we're ready for whatever snow comes."
Carnegie recommends drivers get snow tires. The extra traction can also help people get out of their neighborhoods more easily because road agencies typically plow major thoroughfares first.
Mattila encouraged people to start assembling a winter driving kit. That kit should include supplies like kitty litter for tire traction, jumper cables, a car charger, a blanket, extra clothes, snacks and water.
"People should also start thinking about winter driving safety, which includes stopping earlier and watching out for snow plows," she said.
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