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Road and Bridge stepping up winter readiness |
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September 30, 2016 |
Boundary County Road and Bridge has made a long
term agreement with the Idaho Transportation
Department to operate a traction sand storage
and reload facility on Gypsy Lane south of
Naples. By having this covered sand storage at
the south end of the county, county road crews
can offer a faster response time and apply
traction sand in a shorter intervals of time
between loads with fewer man and equipment
hours.
The faster response provides for safer public
travel. This is possible by eliminating the
travel time from Naples to the facility at the
landfill with the small sand spreaders to
reload. The new storage facility will be
restocked with sand hauled by larger transport
trucks as needed, ideally on clear days when
there is not a need for plows to operate.
Boundary County Road and Bridge has a similar
agreement for a facility on Pywell Road in the
Copeland area. Construction is planned for the
2017 work season. It will offer the same
efficiency as the Naples facility.
The county has nearly completed its salt brine
facility, which will make liquid deicer
affordable and readily available for pre-storm
applications and for on-board mixing with
traction sand for application by spreader truck.
The brining facility will mix kiln-dried and
cleaned salt with water to make liquid deicer.
This offers a substantial cost savings, as the
county saves on processing and on freight, as
the water doesn't have to be hauled in. Another
plus is that the county can mix the deicer as
needed and not have to order a full load and
have left over at the end of the season that
would have to be stored.
Road and bridge crews will be applying granular
salt on some of the troublesome grades and hills
during snow storms, which is proven to provide
better deicing and traction during these events
with less machinery and the related manpower
costs.
The salt provides longer lasting effectiveness
over sand and liquid deicers. The salt spreader
has the capability of matching the salt delivery
rate to the truck speed. If the truck slows
down, the delivery rate is decreased
automatically.
Road and brige now has three state-of-the-art
motor graders with wings, six sand spreaders
with plows, one granular salt applicator, one
state-of-the-art liquid deicer applicator, one
pickup with plow and wheel loaders available for
snow removal.
The salt products used contain a corrosion
inhibitor to reduce salt damage to vehicles.
When the winter comes and the need is apparent,
crew shifts are split to provide seven day a
week coverage for plowing and sanding.
With these products, machines, improved
efficiency and the reduction of costs, Boundary
County Road and Bridge is on board to do all
they can to provide to provide good winter
maintenance to Boundary County's 340 plus miles
of roadway this winter.
Motorists should always remember to give plows
and sanders the right of way, and please don't
park where plows need to operate.
To learn more, call (208) 267-3838. |
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