DOH makes progress clearing West Virginia roads after winter storm

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) -The Division of Highways deployed its entire workforce to clear roads after this weekend’s winter storm blanketed the Mountain State with snow and ice, logging nearly 22,000 man-hours during the storm.

Crews began pretreating roads with brine and beet juice on Thursday, January 22nd. The pretreatment prevents snow from sticking to pavement and helps salt work more effectively.

A major winter storm moved into West Virginia during the evening of Saturday, January 24th. By Sunday, January 25th, most Priority 1 routes—including interstates and major highways—were passable.

Ice creates new challenges for crews

Plummeting temperatures brought a new challenge: ice. Ice is harder to remove than snow and less responsive to salt, so the DOH brought in road graders and an aggressive salting and plowing campaign.

Crews have now moved into Phase Two of cleanup operations.

“We’re starting to branch off from our primary routes and move into secondary and third-priority roads,” said Earl Gaskins, DOH District 4 General Manager. “Right now, crews are actively treating and plowing those areas, pushing snow back, and continuing to battle ice across the region as we prepare for another storm expected this weekend.”

The DOH says crews have used more than 53,000 gallons of brine and 12,000 pounds of calcium in the ongoing fight against snow and ice.

All roads maintained by the DOH fit into one of four priorities and are addressed as storm conditions dictate. Priority 1 routes include interstates, expressways, and major highways. Priority 2 routes are school bus routes, and Priority 3 routes are other roads. Once priority 1 routes are accessible, crews move to priority 2 and 3 routes—but if snow returns, they return to the priority 1 routes.