Snowplowing on Hennepin County Roads

Via a December 28 Hennepin County e-newsletter:

During winter storms, you may have see one of our big orange trucks with the blue H on the door. Hennepin County plow drivers responsible for more than 2,200 lane miles we are responsible for maintaining. Keeping Hennepin County roads safe during the winter is our priority.

Here's a little more background on our snow and ice removal work:

Plowing and de-icing

Crews head out from five stations across the county -- in Medina, Bloomington, Minnetonka, Orono and Osseo. There are 66 routes.

•The first shift may start as early as 2 a.m. This allows the drivers to plow and treat with de-icing materials before traffic gets heavy.

•The primary goal is to make all travel lanes passable.
•Routes take approximately five hours to complete. Drivers continue their work until their shift is complete.

Keep in mind that traffic volume affects snow plowing operations. When traffic congestion exists, plowing takes longer. When traffic volume is high, melting/removal may take longer.

Post storm clean up

Post storm clean up begins on the first regularly scheduled shift after a storm.

Clean up includes:

•Deicing and removing compacted snow and ice from the pavement.
•"Winging” on roadsides to create additional space for snow storage.
•Removing snow from bridge sidewalks and approaches, as well as from obstacles (e.g. guardrails and bollards).

Be safe

You have a role to play, too.
•Plan ahead for snow days – give yourself extra time.
•Know the road.
•Be patient – slow down and give plows room to work.
•Never use cruise control.

Remember, just because a road is plowed, doesn’t mean it’s okay to speed up. The de-icing materials crews on the road need time to work.

This information and additional detail can be found at www.hennepin.us/plowing.