Belmont County ODOT garage prepares for winter months, but hopes for mild weather

BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio (WTRF) — There’s more to the changing of the seasons than colorful leaves and pumpkin spice latte.

There’s also the Belmont County ODOT Garage’s winter readiness event.

They don’t just kick the tires.

They have 20 trucks that are going out this winter to scrape the snow and ice and put salt on the roads.

And they check every one of them, from the roof lights to the tread on the tires.

The students who painted this are praying for snow days.

At the ODOT garage, they’re being careful rather than prayerful.

They are inspecting every vehicle that will hit the road this winter.

So what kind of winter will it be?

The last two have been very mild, and we hope that it will remain the same.”

Dave Schafer, ODOT Belmont County Manager

I have not heard anything. One thing I’ve always said is you can look at the woolly worms. And I haven’t seen very many this year.”

Lauren Borell, Public Information Officer, ODOT District 11

Driver Jim Large has won several ODOT rodeos.

On the roads, he has seen the driving public make some bad choices in the snow, like going up the down ramp and tailgating the salt truck.

I’ve been in snowstorms, Blizzard of ’93, and I had a Chevette in two feet snow following me around.”

Jim Large, ODOT Truck Driver

Please give our salt trucks all the distance in the world because as they’re putting down salt, it takes a while for the chemical reaction to occur.”

Dave Schafer

They say there is plenty of salt this year.

The last couple winters have been mild so we kind of had that chance to catch up on our salt and build that up but we are fully stocked and ready to go.”

Lauren

The plow blades are painted with messages of caution and works of art, many of those done by incarcerated individuals at Belmont Correctional.

And one plow blade reminds us of the number for veterans to call for help in a mental health crisis, 988.

The truck driver we spoke with recalls one snowstorm when he came upon footsteps in the snow.

He doesn’t recommend that.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTRF.