HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Kansas Department of Transportation tells Hutch Post that the snowplow operator shortage for all of District Five (18 counties of south central Kansas) is about 22%. That is a little less than the statewide shortage of about 24%.
Reno County is concerned about its shortage of plow drivers, if the need becomes great in a future storm.
"We will be down 7 full time employees in the Road & Bridge Department," said Reno County Public Works Director Don Brittain. "I utilize staff from other divisions within Public Works for truck drivers but being 7 short, we will not be able to perform snow & ice operations like we would with a full staff. I will have a plan and we will do our best."
The City of Hutchinson is in a little better shape, as they have 19 CDL operators available to drive 8 large plows. The city has eight snow routes that are plowed.
Below is a series of snow related questions and answers from Public Works Director Brian Clennan:
Snow FAQs
Does the City Plow all Residential Streets?
No, our goal is that every home is no more than 4 blocks from a plowed street. If a snow event is predicted to leave 10 inches or more of snow followed by a prolonged period of freezing temperatures, the City will plan on addressing the secondary snow routes (residential collector streets) after the primary snow routes have been cleared.
Primary snow routes focus on arterials (Main, Plum, Severance, 30th, 11th, and 4th for example), collectors (Poplar, Porter, West 23rd, East 25th and Maple for example), and a few residential streets, primarily around schools.
Do you only plow streets or do you salt them, too?
The decision to plow or salt streets is largely based on the severity of the storm and predicted storm totals. All winter events will begin with treating the primary routes with salt. Crews will begin plowing primary routes when storm totals reach approximately 2 inches.
Our primary weapon for fighting snow and ice storms is salt. The city does not use abrasives such as sand along with the salt because of the residue left behind.
How long does it take to clear all the streets?
The majority of snow events only require the City to address the primary routes. Although the City of Hutchinson has never developed a bare pavement policy, we strive to achieve bare pavement on our primary routes within 24 to 48 hours after the storm.
Do city workers work around the clock?
Yes, crews work 24 hours a day in 12.5 hour shifts.
Why do the plows push a pile of snow onto my driveway?
When snow plow trucks pass by residences and businesses, a windrow of snow is pushed up against the curb and in front of driveway entrances. This is due to the plow removing snow from the center of the road and is unavoidable. Residents are encouraged to clear snow from their driveways before the snow re-freezes and becomes more difficult to remove.
In some areas of town primarily, Main Street and the Downtown area, street width allows for snow storage on the street; therefore, snow is plowed to the center of the street and removed after the storm.
How many snow removal vehicles does the city have on the streets during a storm?
The city has 7 tandem-axle trucks and 1 single-axle truck equipped with spreaders and front plows. There are 3 one-ton trucks equipped with front plows, 3 Loaders, 2 Road Graders, 3 Backhoes, and 1 Skid steer that can be deployed.
Approximately how many miles of streets are plowed?
There are 680 lane miles in Hutchinson. The primary snow routes consist of 330 lane miles. The secondary snow routes consist of 65 lane miles.