With snow in the forecast, road commissions prepare

(WXYZ) - They literally leave their tracks every year.

Employees for the county road commissions work long hours trying to keep our streets safe during the winter. So what goes on behind the scenes when a storm that could dump 10 to 15 inches of snow is on the way?

Jim Harmon, the Director of Operations for the Washtenaw County Road Commission, says the department is staying busy closely monitoring the forecasted conditions. They keep a number of supervisors on the road to make direct observations.

The normal shift for a driver is 7 a.m. to 3:30 in the afternoon, but when a storm heads in, drivers usually get called in around 4 in the morning, well in advance of the early rush hour. When a heavy snowfall lands, it's not uncommon for drivers and mechanics to work 16 hour shifts for several days in a row.

Harmon tells Action News that the winter budget for Washtenaw County road maintenance runs about $2 million. He says a storm like the one predicted for Groundhog's Day could end up taking a quarter of their budget.

Craig Bryson of the Road Commission for Oakland County says it's a similar situation for their department as well. Over the last few years, Oakland County has been forced to cut about 50 drivers from its force. Bryson says this storm could make those cuts quite noticeable. Right now, they have about 140 drivers employed and many of the plow trucks are older models. Mechanics are focused on getting as many of those trucks in working order by Tuesday.

Both say come Wednesday, the focus will be on the main roads first of course. Drivers should be advised to stay off the roads and don't drive unless you absolutely have to.

If you see one of the plow trucks out, try to avoid passing it. Give plow drivers plenty of room and avoid being in their blindspots or tailgating. The more drivers adhere to these tips, the faster plow drivers can get the roads cleaned off.