WYDOT Adds Personnel

The Wyoming Department of Transportation plans to add to its winter staff in District 3 for the coming season.  WYDOT District 3 Engineer John Eddins says the district has been preparing for the inevitable over the past few months.  Eddins says twelve temporary operators will join WYDOT this winter season to supplement permanent maintenance crews.  Meanwhile, Eddins says activities have ranged from repairing snow blowers to testing the lights and chains on other equipment.  In addition to the plows, WYDOT has been stockpiling several different chemical mixtures and the traditional sand/salt mix to maintain safe road conditions.  WYDOT uses several mixtures on Wyoming roads–both before and after snow storms– such as salt sand, salt brine, magnesium chloride and ice slicer.  When snowfall can be predicted, he says, some of these chemicals are applied to roads before the storm to help keep snowpack from accumulating, and to assist with the removal of snow after the storm.  Once the weather turns, Eddins encourages local residents and travelers to access road and travel information through their Web site for updates and closures.