Keeping the streets clear of snow is no small operation.
Poplar Bluff’s two graders, three dump trucks, two ton-and-a-half trucks, and five pickups run at their limit to ensure safe passage on the city’s roads.
Street department Superintendent Jerry Lawson has worked for the city for 35 years, and five years in his current position. A team of 14 is responsible for the maintenance and operation of the snow removal equipment. The three men in the maintenance shop are also responsible for the city’s entire fleet of vehicles from the police, fire, and parks departments.
“It’s constant upkeep,” said mechanic Eric Walker.
The maintenance team rotates through shifts to ensure someone is always on duty to handle breakage during snowfall.
“In a wet snow, we can go through four to six blades on the grader,” stated Assistant Superintendent Kyle Batten, a six-year veteran of the department.
When the forecast predicts snow, the street department gets ahead by mixing salty brine water to pre-treat roads.
Their largest vehicle, the 10-wheel dump truck, can hold up to 1,600 gallons. The department will typically mix 6,200 gallons of brine in anticipation of snowfall, but keeping up with demand is a challenge, according to Lawson.
The department continuously produces road treatment compounds at their warehouse at full capacity until all roads are clear. Treating the main thoroughfares first, the department will follow up with plows and rock salt mixed with liquid calcium as soon as the bulk of the snowstorm is over.
The drivers and operators coordinate 12 and 14-hour shifts to clear roads. With skid steers and loaders, brine and rock salt are distributed to each vehicle in a balance of coordination and speed.
Despite not having the manpower to run plows around the clock, Lawson showed Tuesday that his team bladed down nearly every street in town in two days for the most recent storm.
The superintendent explained the temperature and type of snow will affect the department’s success in clearing roads.
The brine treatment typically does not activate until temperatures reach at least 18 degrees.
When the snow is dry and powdery, the plows have difficulty efficiently sweeping it aside. The recent snowfall’s dry texture presented a formidable challenge. Batten explained that, once he can expose a patch of concrete, the sun will provide much-needed assistance in heating the surface and providing a lip for the plows to dig under. The heating effect occurs even when the overall temperature is well below freezing.
“Just give me sunshine and 10 degrees,” Lawson said with a laugh.
The staff all agreed that wet snow was easier for the crew and equipment to handle.
The city’s mix of gravel, brick, and asphalt roads present an additional set of challenges. Lawson states the city put down an additional two-and-a-half miles of asphalt over a few of the gravel streets this past year, but some remain.
Due to the possible damage to the loose surface, the department is unable to blade the gravel. The concrete roads can be treated with a mixture of small rocks known as pea gravel to assist with traction, but the department cannot treat the brick roads with this substance. Batten explained that the rocks will work their way between the bricks, and the contraction and expansion from temperature shifts will destroy the close-fitting mosaic. The brick roads’ challenge to snow removal comes amid consistent maintenance issues for this surface.
“We could have a team of five working every day and still not fix everything,” Batten stated concerning the historic brick thoroughfares.
Lawson described the frustration he sometimes sees from the city’s residents concerning snow removal coverage. His secretary often receives multiple phone calls about roads that have not been plowed yet during a storm.
“If we tried to go to every request, we’d never get done,” Lawson clarified.
He expounded that the street department needs to keep to a meticulous system to ensure major lanes remain a priority. The superintendent emphasized main roads will be serviced first, but everyone gets their turn.
With snowstorms being relatively infrequent and mild compared to more northern municipalities, Lawson said there is not enough justification to upgrade Poplar Bluff’s snow removal equipment.
In the meantime, residents can hold out for sunshine, 10 degrees, and the tireless efforts of the town’s street department.
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