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WYDOT District 4 identifies snow plan levels of service roads

Now that the winter season has settled in, WYDOT has implemented its annual snow plan, which gives guidance as to how the agency will keep highways cleared of snow and ice this winter.

With the budget constraints the department is currently facing, WYDOT has identified six levels of service and the routes that fall under those levels to help manage and work within those budget constraints while still maintaining adequate levels of service for plowing.

Within these constraints, highways will be plowed, but they may remain snow covered at times and overnight plowing may not happen or be minimized depending on the timing of a snow event. Priority will be the travel and passing lanes with road shoulders and approaches being secondary.

WYDOT will continue to use road traction materials such as salt/sand and liquid and granular de-icing products and has a budgeted amount for those supplies.

“We will have to strictly adhere to our winter maintenance budget, which means there likely won’t be any wiggle room to go over budget if we have a particularly severe winter,” said WYDOT Director Luke Reiner. “However, we will continue to provide winter maintenance services based on our limited budget.”

When determining which roads fell under which level of service, interstates and school bus routes took priority. Each district will work closely with school districts to help ensure designated bus routes receive service, and to keep them abreast of changing conditions and closures.

The levels of service for the state’s highways are consistent throughout Wyoming. However, a highway may receive one level of service in one district and receive a higher or lower level of service within another district, which is typically a result of local daily traffic volume and/or primary road usage.

Cleanup operations at the end of the storm are to be performed during normal scheduled working hours after all other levels of snow control service have been accomplished. This operation includes the clearing of any snow blocked approaches, removal of drifted areas off the roadway, snow piles at intersections and turnarounds and other necessary cleanup.

WYDOT asks the public to do their part when traveling Wyoming’s highways. When encountering a snow plow, be sure your headlights are on so you are more visible to the plow drivers and others. Slow down.

Travel a safe distance behind the plow to avoid crowding and sand striking your vehicle. Don’t chance passing unless the path ahead of you is absolutely clear, many times the road ahead is worse.

As always, WYDOT thanks you for your patience and cooperation and wishes everyone safe travels.

To view the snowplow priority plan, motorists can visit WYDOT’s web site at http://www.dot.state.wy.us/home/travel/winter.html.