CAPTION: Chillicothe Street Department workers hook up a sand bed to one of the street trucks this morning as they prepare for a winter storm which had been predicted to hit the area later in the day. The recent snow storms, combined with extremely cold temperatures have hampered efforts to clear the roadways both within city limits and on state-maintained roads. The snow events have also caused the departments to spend more on materials and overtime pay.

The recent snow storms have taken a heavy toll on the budgets of both the city street department and the Missouri Department of Transportation. According to Hugh Musselman, city street superintendent, the extreme cold and the timing of the snow events have both proven costly. “At this point, we’ve expended about 60 percent of the money budgeted to get us through the winter,” Musselman said, adding that the department generally sets aside $15,000 for materials and other costs and around $10,000 in overtime pay. “We’re probably looking at spending $6,000 in overtime already as well as $10,000 in materials so far,” he said.

According to Brad Gates, district maintenance superintendent for the Missouri Department of Transportation, the extra funds needed for snow removal and road treatment will likely take a chunk out of the funds usually reserved to bring on seasonal personnel who work on concrete, bridge and striping crews over the summer. “We may not be able to bring (the seasonal workers) on as quickly as we’d like,” Gates predicted.

So far, according to Roger Anderson, MoDOT maintenance district supervisor, 470 tons of salt and close to 8,000 gallons of salt brine and beet juice (GeoMelt) have been used on district roads. Gates says that last year, the district was able to get through the winter using only one load (or $9,000 worth) of GeoMelt. This year, however, the district is on its second load already and the area is, once again, bracing for another winter storm.

Musselman said his crews were spending the morning preparing for the storm, checking equipment, pre-treating roadways and getting materials ready. He was hopeful that some of the ice already on the city streets, would melt before the next snow event began.