MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Winter is on the way and workers with the West Virginia Division of Highways are making sure they aren’t caught unprepared for snow and ice.
In Monongalia County, the DOH started preparing their snow removal and ice control equipment this week at the DOH’s Monongalia County Headquarters on Grafton Road.
“This is called a dry run and what it does is allows us to get out here and put our equipment together ahead of the winter season,” said DOH Operations Section Head Jeff Pifer.
Pifer noted it’s better to get all the maintenance issues resolved while the weather is still nice.
“So we can see where we’ve got leaks, portions of the equipment that’s not working, make sure everything’s squared up before the snow hits,” he told MetroNews Affiliate WAJR-AM in Morgantown.
Monongalia County is part of the DOH’s District 4 which includes Doddridge, Harrison, Marion, Preston and Taylor counties.
For Monongalia County alone, there are three one-ton dump trucks, 11 single-axle dump trucks, three tandem-axle dump trucks, four road graders, three loaders, two brine tractor trailers and two brine tandem tractor trucks.
Pifer said last winter was hard on that equipment.
“It was a hard winter. The trucks, when you run them the kind of hours that we were putting on them without a break, things are going to break down.”
Jim Compton, a DOH equipment operator, said it was hard on personnel too. “I went 30 days straight without a day off,” he said.
But, as long as Mother Nature keeps the snow coming, the DOH will do their best to keep the roads clear for the residents of Monongalia County. “Seven days a week, 12 hours a day, if it’s snowing, we’re working,” Compton said.
Similar prep work is happening at DOH locations across West Virginia.
The first official day of winter is Dec. 21.