Montgomery Public Works Prepared for Winter Weather

Editor's note: The following is a press release from the village of Montgomery.

As winter approaches, so does the possibility of Montgomery receiving a measurable snowfall with the potential to coat roads and snarl traffic. Although snow and ice can be treacherous and inconvenient, the Montgomery Public Works Department is prepared to handle any weather event that the Village may encounter.

“We are definitely ready for snow at all times now,” said Montgomery Public Works Director Mike Pubentz. “We’re ready for whatever comes toward the village.”

Pubentz said that the Public Works and Police Department staffs work closely to determine when roadway safety and accessibility may be diminished by snow and ice accumulation and will dispatch appropriate numbers of plow trucks to manage each snow and ice incident.

When the snow starts falling or the roads show the potential for ice, Public Works employees retrieve the prepared trucks and begin the predetermined routes. The trained and certified individuals work quickly and methodically to clear areas with the potential for high congestion first.

“We have to clear snow in a way that makes sense for the whole Village,” Pubentz said. “Heavily-traveled roads get treated first, because that’s where there is the highest number of drivers.”

Major arterial roads get initial attention to ensure safety in high-traffic areas, then crews move out into neighborhoods and less-traveled areas. Snow plowing maps with specific village routes are available on Montgomery’s website.

But efficient maps and routes wouldn’t be effective without sufficient equipment and materials.

The village of Montgomery owns nine snow plow trucks and all the Public Works employees are required to have a current State of Illinois Commercial Driver’s License.

The village also has approximately 2,000 tons of salt in storage and ready for use.

The village uses speed adaptive salt spreaders which vary the amount of salt placed on the pavement according to the actual speed of the truck.

“[The salt spreaders] increase how efficiently we use salt by reducing over- and under-spreading that occurs with single speed salt spreaders,” said Pubentz.

As the village of Montgomery Public Works Department continues to prepare for the upcoming season, it also has tips for residents and visitors to keep this winter safe and convenient:

• Slow down when driving in winter conditions.
• Be prepared and prepare vehicles for winter temperatures and road conditions.
• Give emergency snow removal equipment plenty of room to operate.  Fully loaded snow plows require more time and distance to stop and maneuver and have limited views of traffic that is behind them or in blind spots.
• Please do not deposit snow from driveways into the street.  It is a violation of village ordinance, and more importantly makes the job of clearing streets more difficult and extends the time it will take to provide safe traveling conditions.