SALT LAKE CITY -- Hundreds of snow plows hit the Utah roads Christmas Day to try and clear the several inches of snow that fell overnight, but Utah Department of Transportation said it was a little slow going.
UDOT West area supervisor Kevon Ogden said they ran into a couple of problems. The Christmas snowstorm was continuous, meaning plows had to make multiple passes to keep up with it. Another concern, heavier traffic than snowplow operators expected to find on Christmas morning.
“It slows us down,” said Ogden. “I understand we’ve got to drive slow for existing conditions, but it holds the trucks over and takes us a little bit longer to cover.”
Snow plow operators actually started working about seven o’clock Christmas Eve clearing roads in Salt Lake County. Close to 500 plows worked through the night trying to keep up with a storm. They worked in several different shifts to try and give employees a chance to be home with family for the holiday.
“We’d rather it snow any other day of the year than this,” said Ogden. “But it’s our job and we’ll take care of it.”
Drivers we spoke with said it was a little frustrating to have snowy roads for morning drives, but appreciate the work those drivers do, especially on a holiday.
“I had a father that always had to work on holidays,” said Danielle Kasper. “I’ve had to work on holidays, I think everyone can speak for that, even if it’s volunteer work.”
Crews will continue to treat roads with salt and brine even after the snow stops. UDOT reminds drivers when sun is goes down, those roads will get very slick.
You can check and see where snow removal crews are on UDOT’s website, http://udottraffic.utah.gov/RoadWeatherForecast.aspx, or through their mobile app.
