NEO ODOT crews ready for next winter storm

DGKN staff report

CLEVELAND   More snow is headed to northeast Ohio, and crews from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) are prepared for whatever Mother Nature brings, be it rain, ice , snow, or a mix of it all, according to an ODOT news release.

Winter precipitation is expected to begin Wednesday and continue for the next couple of days with the potential for significant snow fall Wednesday night through Friday morning.

Travel will be impacted. Motorists are encouraged to stay home. If travel is required, allow plenty of extra travel time and plan ahead by checking out OHGO.com to view hundreds of live traffic cameras, traffic speeds, and be informed of any crashes or incidents.

In northeast Ohio, ODOT has more than 166,000 tons of salt on hand and the ability to make their own salt brine to combat this storm. Mechanics have been tuning up the snowplows and drivers are ready to begin 12-hour shifts. If Ohio gets the expected amount of snowfall, it will be very difficult for crews to keep up, the news release states. Motorists can’t expect perfect road conditions, but snowplows will be plowing and treating roads and doing their best for those that must travel.

As a reminder, ODOT is responsible for treating state and U.S. routes outside municipalities and all interstates except the Ohio Turnpike. Take a look at maps for each county to see the routes ODOT maintains.

Even as the forecast is changed and updated over the next several hours, one thing remains the same, ODOT snowplows will be working around the clock, the release states.