As the Chicago area hunkers down for the first serious winter storm of the season, the Cook County Highway Department put out a news release detailing its efforts. The highway department is responsible for roads stretching from from Palatine township in the north to Bloom Township in the far south.
Cook County residents can report road condition issues to one of the the County’s five Highway Department district offices.
– District # 1 – Schaumburg (Northwest Cook County): 847-397-4145
– District # 2 – Des Plaines (Northeast Cook County) : 847-827-1164
– District # 3 – Lagrange Park (West Central Cook County): 708-485-7130
– District # 4 – Orland Park ( Southwest Cook County): 708-448-8006
– District # 5 – Riverdale (Southeast Cook County): 708-388-1893
The full release comes after the jump.
(News Release)
Cook County Highway Department Readies for Season’s First Major Storm
Cook County Board President Todd Stroger urges residents to report problems to appropriate Highway Department district.
December 8, 2009 – With the metro area bracing for the first serious storm of the season, the Cook County Highway Department has put its winter storm control operations into high gear, deploying crews and equipment to tackle snow, ice and other roadway hazards on hundreds of miles of County-maintained roads from Palatine township in the north to Bloom Township in the far south. Dozens of Highway Department trucks have already been deployed, and are prepared to work through the night and the coming days to keep roads clear and travelers and commerce safe.
The Highway Department maintains and ensures the safety of 550 centerline miles of Cook County roads, the equivalent of more than 1,500 lane miles. Many County roads are part of the major arterial network that leads to and from area expressways and toll roads — including two-lane highways that present unique challenges during salting and plowing operations because of limited visibility and oncoming traffic.
“Thousands of people, from first responders like paramedics and ambulance personnel to truck drivers and parents rely on these vital transportation corridors for work, commerce and public safety,” says Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, whose office is responsible for overseeing the Highway Department. “The Cook County Highway Department plays a critical role in keeping our roadways and bridges safe and free of ice and snow 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That’s a real boon for municipalities, because economies of scale permit us to provide these services at a fraction of the cost that local communities would have to shoulder if they had to provide these services directly.”
“President Stroger also urges local residents to call in road problems to the appropriate Cook County Highway district office. “Our employees work very hard to tackle problems before they start, but some things can’t be anticipated,” he says. “If you see road problems, whether it’s a downed branch, black ice, or anything else that might be hazardous, call your local Highway district office.”
At the beginning of the winter storm season, Cook County activated its round-the-clock winter operations plan, and County Highway trucks and workers have been providing road salting and plowing as needed and weather conditions dictate. Those operations, which have the ability to utilize over 100 pieces of equipment and a comprehensive emergency winter storm plan, go into high gear in the wake of warnings or alerts about impending winter storms.
Highway Department staff on 24-hour alert oversee the efforts through five district facilities in Schaumburg, DesPlaines, LaGrange Park, Orland Park, and Riverdale. Staff use a range of strategies and technologies – from wireless communication and GIS equipment to hands-on supervisory assessment of conditions on the ground – to track and tackle evolving road conditions.
“While the weatherman may be recommending that you try to stay off the roads, we know that’s simply not always possible,” says Highway Superintendent Rupert Graham. “At the same time, emergency vehicles may need to travel around these transportation corridors. Our goal is to get out there early and often enough to ensure that every single person who travels on these roads and bridges can move safely and securely.”
The Department has eighty frontline snow fighting vehicles equipped with plows and spreaders, as well as front-end loaders and road graders that are used to remove heavy accumulations of snow. The Department’s newer trucks are equipped with speed sensitive spreaders and pre-wetting equipment.
This season, the Highway Department has a total of 50,000 tons of salt available for application when temperatures drop and snow and ice begins to form. The Highway Department also has the capability to produce salt brine that is applied to the pavement before a winter storm event to prevent the bonding of snow and ice to the pavement, which minimizes icy conditions and permits faster clean-up after the storm subsides. The Department also has on hand 20,000 gallons of calcium chloride that is added to salt to accelerate the de-icing process during periods of particularly low temperatures. In an average winter, Cook County generally uses up to 28,000 tons of roadway salt.
The Highway Department employs an emergency call-out procedure to tackle winter storms. Each District Supervisor — the lead staff person at each district for winter storm needs — receives storm warnings around the clock from Murray and Trettel, Inc., the County’s weather forecasting service. Those forecasts indicate the type of storm, start time and duration, severity and what portion of the County is most likely to be affected.
Forecasts are faxed and called in to supervisors 24 hours a day. In addition, supervisory personnel monitor the weather via computer satellite reports and other electronic information sources. When supervisors receive a storm or frost warning, they report directly to district facilities to monitor conditions and call out drivers as needed.
Each of the Highway Department’s five districts is divided into a patrol which comprises a snow and ice control route, and each patrol follows carefully crafted written procedures designed to assure optimum performance in the event of a winter storm warning. Following a call-out, supervisors provide drivers with special instructions and assign drivers to a specific patrol. As drivers salt and/or plow segments of their patrol, they report the time and location to a radio dispatcher who maintains a permanent log, and those operations continue until all snow and ice conditions have been cleared.
During periods of heavy accumulation of snow, additional drivers are utilized to work in tandem — with two or more trucks plowing together — to expedite snow removal. Roads that service hospitals, police stations, fire stations, schools, and potentially hazardous locations like bridges and curves receive priority.
Cook County Highway staff make an effort to begin storm preparations early. Anti-icing – the use of brine – reduces the amount of salt usage, and research has shown that timely applications of anti-icing materials can cut the cost of maintaining a safe road surface by 90% over the cost of deicing. In addition, salt needs moisture to be effective and applying brine jumpstarts the melting process. Brine also sticks to the road surface and will not be as easily blown off the road by wind or traffic, allowing the material to be more efficiently used. Also, if the storm is delayed, salt residue remains on the road ready to begin work when precipitation begins.
Crews can begin treatment in advance of a storm. Because anti-icing prevents the bonding of snow and ice to pavement, snow fighters have less work to maintain safe roadways as the storm progresses. Increased efficiency results in use of less de-icer and labor, lowering the cost of maintaining safe road conditions, and also minimizing environmental concerns.
Salt brine is made by mixing rock salt or solar salt with water. The process is simple: the resulting brine should be approximately 23% NaCl.
The proportion of salt to water is critical to the effectiveness of the brine. Too much or too little salt affects the freeze point depressing qualities of the brine. The proper brine mixture is 23.3% salt content by weight. This is the concentration at which salt brine has the lowest freezing point, -6°F. It is known as the eutectic point. This percentage is measured with a salometer, a specialized hydrometer. Salt is added to the water until a 88.3% measurement on the salometer is obtained. This results in the proper 23.3% salt content.