FDOT Bringing Out The Snow Plows For Tuesday

February 16, 2015

The Florida Department of Transportation is bringing out the snow plows for Tuesday — but it’s just an exercise.

FDOT will conduct a winder weather exercise on Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties.

Motorists may notice an increased number of FDOT vehicles on state routes during the drill as FDOT field maintenance and operations department staff simulate a winter storm. FDOT crews will react to simulated icy weather conditions and deploy snow plows, chemical spreaders and various ice and snow removal equipment throughout the area.

The training exercise is designed to deal with snow and ice removal during inclement weather, coordinate FDOT personnel and equipment and monitor safety and efficiency of operations in the event of winter storm. FDOT’s winter weather plan is being developed to keep Florida’s highway system safe and operational in all types of weather conditions.

All planned activities are weather dependent and may be re-scheduled in the event of inclement weather, according to FDOT.

Pictured: An impassable Highway 29 south of Century littered with jack-knifed 18-wheelers following an ice storm in January 2014. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.

Comments

4 Responses to “FDOT Bringing Out The Snow Plows For Tuesday”

  1. Good Job on February 16th, 2015 1:31 pm

    I think I need to be a Snow Plow truck driver for the FDOT…Salary of course…..

  2. Suzie B on February 16th, 2015 11:13 am

    This info was about purchases made in 2014. I think the purchases were to cover a couple of counties, not just Escambia:
    The state Department of Transportation bought 42 tons of salt ($12,400) and 10 salt spreaders ($26,400) that attach to the front of dump trucks. They stocked 4,400 gallons of potassium acetate, a chemical used to remove ice ($26,400).
    Also the department purchased five snow plows — yes, snow plows — for $22,000. The plows attach to the front of existing DOT vehicles. The plows are multipurpose. They can also be used to shovel sand or debris that might cover roads in the event of a hurricane.
    They said that the department needs to be better prepared for the possibility of severe winter weather, and that includes snowfall after the unexpected incidents in 2014.

  3. just me on February 16th, 2015 6:19 am

    Haha that’s kind of ironic that if inclement weather actually happens it will be re-scheduled lol that’s when we’ll actually needs it :}

  4. susan on February 16th, 2015 4:41 am

    How many snow plows does Escambia County have?

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under Archive