SALT LAKE CITY — With dangerous, snow-packed roads expected Tuesday night and beyond, Utah Department of Transportation crews worked overtime to prepare.
Transportation tech Jon Wride said every detail matters in preparing for the storm.
“Make sure everything’s greased up, no hydraulic leaks that we’re not gonna spray hydraulic fluid all over, make sure we’re not making roads worse," said Wride.
Wride said he'll take the wheel when snow hits the road, but it's a dangerous task driving the large snowplows in the worst weather conditions.
“With heavier storms like this, we create what are called 'wind rows' where all the snow comes off the plows and by the end of the fourth plow, it can be a foot high depending on how much snow there is," he said.
He knows the plows drive slow, but he asks other drivers and commuters to be patient.
“When they try to pass us, they drive in front of us, and they end up spinning out because there’s no salt or sand on the road yet," said Wride.
He said their job is not only to clear the roadways for commuters, but also for Utah Highway Patrol and other first responders.
“We want to clear the roads for ambulances. So we’re not only doing this for ourselves, [but for] our own families and for everyone that we can," he said.
Wride said UDOT has a dayside crew and a nightside crew, and as long as snow is falling, they'll be working to clear it from the roads.
