LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – Hundreds of people, dozens of trucks, and thousands of pounds of salt. According to Louisville Metro Public Works and Louisville mayor Craig Greenberg, after last year’s historic snow season, changes have been made this year ahead of inclement winter weather.
“We’ve updated our equipment, our routes, we’ve improved coordination and communication across our departments,” Greenberg said.
New this year are eight new dump trucks, three new pickup trucks, 16 new brine tanks and upgrades to the actual snowplow blades themselves, making them sturdier for the future to keep them out on the roads longer.
The snow team now features more than 200 people using more than 100 pieces of snow fighting equipment and 32,000 tons of salt. The public works team also plans to brine more this year, allowing the city to treat roads in advance.
“Brining is a liquid mixture of salt and water that helps prevent ice from bonding to pavement before a storm hits,” said Bill Bell, director, Louisville Metro Department of Transportation.
The city also has a new, interactive Metro Snow Map. Residents wondering if a street near them is getting plowed can check the status on that map. The mayor said the road snow map hadn’t been updated in more than a decade, and it now includes new streets that the city will plow. If your street is not on the snow route, Metro won’t plow your street and you need to make other plans.
“Our snow routes are focused on roads which carry the most traffic and those critical to connecting people to large employment areas, neighborhoods, schools, medical facilities, and hospitals,” Bell said.
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