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Seasonal Road Restrictions
Seasonal Road Restrictions go into effect on Stearns County Highways in the spring of each year. Posted axle weight limits control vehicle weights on posted roads. All county paved highways not posted are automatically 10-ton and gravel roads not posted are automatically 5-ton. All restriction limits are gross axle weights. No overweight permits will be issued to vehicles that exceed the posted limits.
NEWS RELEASE
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEASONAL ROAD RESTRICTION INFORMATION
Seasonal Road Restrictions are scheduled to be lifted on Stearns County Highways effective at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, May 13th, 2013.
NEWS RELEASE
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEASONAL ROAD RESTRICTION INFORMATION
Seasonal Road Restrictions will take effect on Stearns County Highways at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, March 29, 2013. Posted axle weight limits control vehicle weights on posted roads. All restriction limits are gross axle weights. No overweight permits will be issued to vehicles that exceed the posted limits. Restrictions will remain in effect until further notice. Maps showing the load limits on the various roads will be available at the Stearns County Public Works Building, located at 455 -28th Avenue South, Waite Park, MN 56387.
Respect Snow Plow Drivers
The Stearns County Highway Department reminds motorists that the winter driving season has arrived. Motorists are urged to be alert for snowplows and to adjust their speed for the conditions.
Remember that snowplow operators are busy operating a variety of controls, and their ability to see behind them with their side mirrors is hampered by snow clouds and snow and ice build-up. They may make sudden lane changes and may even cross the centerline in order to avoid obstacles such as mailboxes. Please be patient, stay back, stay alert, slow down, buckle up, and avoid unnecessary travel if road conditions are poor.
Motorists Always County's Top Priority
The County's guidelines for snow and ice removal are as follows:
The Basics
The county does not anti-ice (pre-treat roads) before a storm. We will continue to evaluate the effectiveness of these programs and monitor the experience of other agencies.
During a snow or ice event the dispatching of plows is typically determined more by how slippery the roads are than by snowfall accumulations, but many factors are considered including, but not limited to, time of day/night, accumulations, slickness (loss of traction), anticipated duration of storm, temperature of roadways, weather forecast, etc.
Each decision to mobilize the plow crews is a judgment based on experience, the particular weather conditions and resources available.
The goal is to have all county highways passable as soon as reasonably possible after the snowfall has stopped or when icy conditions develop. Stearns County does not have a bare pavement policy, but in general all affected county highways are plowed or made passable after every storm. Plow routes are generally designed to cover higher traffic volumes first.
During most storms use of salt, or a salt/sand blend, is necessary to eventually clear the road to the pavement.
Sometimes a brine is sprayed onto the salt/sand blend to help it stay in place and speed melting. Because salt can be expensive, use of it is typically focused on hills, curves, intersections, or on high-speed arterial roadways where vehicle traction is particularly critical. It also is used if removal of snow/ice or reduction of hazardous conditions cannot be accomplished in a reasonable length of time by plowing or blading.
The type and amount of salt or brine used corresponds with variables such as temperature (rising, falling), type and amount of precipitation, wind velocity and direction, traffic volume, likelihood of trapping subsequent snowfall or blowing snow, amount and type of accumulation, weather forecasts, etc. Cleanup operations — snow removal from sidewalks, bridges, widening in drifted areas with wing plows and/or snow blowers, clearing intersections to improve visibility and hauling snow from urban roadways — will commence after all county roads are open and safe to travel. Cleanup will typically occur during regular working hours or during an established night shift.
Beyond Conditions
Over the past five years Stearns County has annually spent an average of $111,701 on salt and sand for snow and ice removal, $340,997 for fuel costs, $1,631,758 for road maintenance staff time and $167,928 for shop/equipment repair staff time. It should be noted that the average road maintenance and shop/equipment repair staff time includes year-round maintenance and repair work, not just snow and ice removal. Fuel costs include all year-round fuel and gasoline costs for the entire Highway Department. Stearns County also pays out $118,000 annually to cities to maintain county roads year-round within their limits.
The County is on a calendar year budget cycle. Overall, the Highway Department was under budget in 2011 on both staff time and salt and sand for snow and ice removal. It’s much too early to predict how 2012 will end up.
Because every snow or ice event is different it is very difficult to estimate the cost of clearing the county roads after a 3 to 4 inch snowfall.
Several small factors can have large impacts on the overall cost. For example, did the event occur on a weekday, or on a weekend or holiday? Did a layer of ice form on the roads before the snow? Did the event include strong winds? Did it hit the entire county, or just part of it?
It’s also important to note that our maintenance supervisors are not considering how far over (or under) budget the Highway Department currently sits when determining whether or not to dispatch plows. The safety of the motoring public is the County’s primary concern. All reasonable efforts are made, through the use of mechanical methods and normal salt and sand use, to clear the roadways to the pavement. We do not purposely leave snow and ice on the roadways that can be removed through normal operations.
In an effort to save on our snow and ice removal costs we provide training to our employees on the best practices of snow and ice removal, update equipment to maximize productivity while minimizing chemical use, use pre-wetting tanks on trucks to keep salt/sand in place on the road so that it can melt snow and ice faster.
The fact sheet below will help answer some of the additional questions.
Roadways
- There are 965 centerline miles of County roads that the Highway Department is responsible to maintain.
- Approximately 50 miles are gravel roads.
- 85 lane miles (42.5 centerline miles) are maintained by municipalities under Municipal Maintenance Agreements.
Snowplow Drivers/Routes
- There are approximately 24 plow routes depending on weather conditions.
- The number of operators available does not allow for 24 hour coverage. Plows are generally sent out at 4:00 a.m. (St. Cloud area) or 5:00 a.m. in outer shop areas to provide coverage during morning rush hour traffic and, if needed, evening rush hour. Operators cannot be sent home early in anticipation of a storm.
Equipment
- The Highway Department has 26 dedicated plow trucks. The two oldest units are kept as spares in case of mechanical breakdown.
- The expected life of a plow truck is about 13 years. Since there are 26 trucks, this requires the purchase of two trucks per year on average at a cost of about $210,000 each.
- Plow trucks are equipped with underbody blades which are used to cut ice and reduce the amount of salt needed.
- There are six motor graders for use in severe conditions or as additional backup units.
- The expected life of our motor graders is about 20 years. With six units this requires the purchase of a new motor grader every three to four years. The cost of a motor grader is about $240,000.
Materials
- Every year the Highway Department contracts with the State of Minnesota Cooperative Purchasing Venture for approximately 2500 to 3000 tons of salt which guarantees up to 120% of this quantity, and requires a minimum purchase of 80%. Salt costs approx. $80.00 per ton.
- Every year the Highway Department budgets for 10,000 tons of winter sand.
- The Highway Department mixes salt and sand at a ratio of one part salt to three or four parts sand for use on most roads. Straight salt is typically used in higher traffic areas around St. Cloud. The sand provides traction only and does nothing to melt the ice.
- The salt / sand mix is generally pre-wetted with liquid calcium chloride or brine solution to cause the material to stick to the road and to facilitate the melting action of the salt on the ice.