INDIANAPOLIS — Winter weather is back in the forecast, and Indianapolis Department of Public Works (DPW) trucks are back on the roads to keep them clear.
One of Wednesday's challenges? Wind gusts over 35 mph at times.
DPW crews are currently working 12-hour rotating shifts through Tuesday, January 20.
On Wednesday, A-shift actually worked a 16-hour day to pre-treat the roads, with their shift starting at 7 a.m.
"Anything below 30 degrees is going to freeze. Because the temperatures are low, so we're worried about the precip freezing," said Dewayne Clemmons. "We want to go out and get a thin layer of material out on all the streets."
Clemmons is the Chief Steward of employees with Indy DPW.
Indy DPW uses salt to treat roads across the city. They've gone through quite a bit of it this season already.
"From November 1 to this past Monday, we've used about 20,000 tons of salt," said Adam Pinsker, spokesperson for Indy DPW. "And our crews have put in about 55,000 labor hours during that time."
How much salt is that, exactly?
"The tandem trucks, which are the bigger trucks, they take about six tons of salt," Clemmons shared.
This means over 3,000 truckfuls of salt have already been used this season.
Wednesday morning, temperatures peaked at 48 degrees. The roads were salted and dry.
As the cold northerly wind pushed through the area and temperatures dropped, the incoming snow and sleet melted into puddles before Wednesday evening's commute, meaning the salt did its job.
Wind can slow down DPW's work when salting.
"What we tell drivers is to reduce their speed, because when they reduce their speed, that allows the chemical to drop directly on the ground," Clemmons explained.
If trucks go too fast, the wind catches the falling salt, and it gets wasted.
"It's just blowing against the curves, or in the grassy areas," Clemmons continued.
What does this mean for drivers? On windy days, plows will go a bit slower on the road, so you will want to give them extra room to do their work. This will also ensure the salt doesn't go onto your car.
Crews are briefed at the start of each shift on what weather conditions the day will bring.
Wednesday night, crews will shift from salting to plowing. This will also be impacted by wind.
"We can plow the street, and you can come back down, and the drifting of the wind has covered that area," Clemmons said.
The same crew that is working to salt and clear the road is the same crew that was working earlier this week on filling potholes. These employees have been working nearly nonstop since November.
"Give us some encouragement and motivation," Clemmons said. "Give them some thumbs up."
