It’s been a busy week for the City of Kent’s Public Works Department and, like the snowy weather itself, it shows no signs of stopping until early next week.
“This morning we have been fighting Round 2,” said Street Superintendent Bill Thomas on Thursday.
Thomas said he has crews of six or seven working the city’s six trucks around the clock since Saturday, with the plans to continue the schedule until at least Monday, when forecasters expect it to start warming up again.
“We’ve had crews here on 12-hour shifts and will remain on 12-hour shifts through the weekend,” Thomas said.
Thomas said as of mid-day Thursday the city’s arterials were mostly clear, both on the hills and in the valley, but the side streets and neighborhoods could still be slick. Thomas said he does not expect his crews to clear the neighborhoods until Friday or Saturday.
According to the city’s snow and ice removal plan, residential roads are the lowest priority for crews. Top priority are the bridges, overpasses and “known problem shady areas,” followed by the arterial roads and arterial collector roads.
Thomas said the most difficult parts of the city to maintain are the East Hill arterials, or main routes.
“East Hill seems to give us the biggest problems because out arterials are so long,” he said, adding that East Hill is also farther away from the city’s sand pile, located near Russell Road Park.
So far, however, Thomas said the city’s plows, sanding truck and de-icer truck have stayed on top of the weather. He noted this is the first time in recent memory that the city has not had to close a main road during a snow event.
Thomas said the public works department tries to stay ahead of snow by tracking the weather forecast through three different methods, including TV and newspaper forecasts and by checking in with the emergency management center, but so far the best information has come from a contract with a Northwest weather service that provides the city with daily updates and changes specific to Kent.
Thomas said the service provides the city with “up-to-the-minute confidence” when sending out crews.
Thomas also said the city has enough supplies on hand to deal with the storm as well as additional funds on hand if needed.
Drivers are reminded to drive slowly, especially in neighborhoods, especially with forecasts calling for temperatures to drop again, creating the potential for slick spots and black ice.
Learn more
City’s snow and ice removal plan: www.ci.kent.wa.us/transportation/index.aspx?id=11016.
State and regional roads: www.wsdot.wa.gov/
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