Counties all over Michigan are gearing up for another winter plowing season with higher costs and fewer resources.
Wayne County has outfitted about 20 trucks with new side plows that allow crews to make fewer passes to clear snow-covered roads.
Michael Rogers is the Roads Division director for Wayne County. During a demonstration of the equipment, he pointed out an innovation that will save on salt costs. The county has rigged up its trucks to wet the salt as it’s being spread on the roadway.
You see the salt doesn’t necessarily make it all the way over here, to us. And that’s what you want. You want the salt to get on its intended target, and that’s what it’s doing. Because before the salt would’ve been ten feet back there, and that’s a waste of our resource.
Ten years ago, Wayne County had 726 people working for the Roads Division during the winter months. This year it has a little more than 330.
Contact Sarah Hulett at sarahhu@umich.edu
