LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — With winter weather forecast for tonight, Lexington officials say the city is better prepared than ever with an expanded snow fleet and additional personnel following a $2.2 million investment in equipment and staffing.
The city's enhanced winter response includes more than 100 personnel and 45 pieces of equipment within government, plus contractor partners supplying up to 11 trucks, according to Rob Allen, Director of Streets and Roads.
Pre-treating began this afternoon on Man-O-War, bridges, overpasses and hills, and will continue throughout the day. On-call crews will report at 8 p.m. tonight and work overnight until relieved by the day shift at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. Primary contractor crews will be called in to assist with treatment as needed.
Months of preparation
Since September, the city has been meeting regularly with key partner agencies including Fayette County Public Schools, the University of Kentucky, Lextran and LexPark to prepare for winter weather.
In October, snow removal crews participated in classroom and hands-on training, driving snowplows on a closed obstacle course. They also rehearsed winter routes to familiarize themselves with streets and any challenges they may encounter.
Snow removal in Lexington is a combined effort of local and state government. The city is responsible for snow and ice removal for approximately 1,428 lane miles of city and county roads, as well as more than 84 miles of sidewalk. The state handles approximately 878 lane miles of state roads.
Enhanced response after last winter
Following a severe winter storm last January, Lexington allocated additional resources to winter weather response. These improvements included purchasing five new snowplows and salt spreaders for smaller trucks, making increased use of trucks in Parks & Recreation that already have snowplows and salt spreaders, using private contractors through emergency contracts to help clear neighborhood streets, and purchasing three additional tanker trucks to increase the city's ability to apply salt brine and beet heat.
Treatment and snow removal is based on a ranking system, with the highest rankings given to streets with highest traffic volume. Priority is given to streets frequently used for public transportation, emergency services or by Fayette County Public Schools.
Cold weather shelter preparations
Street outreach teams will notify unsheltered persons of forecasted conditions. Multiple shelters across the city are available for people experiencing homelessness, including the new LFUCG winter shelter located at 1306 Versailles Road, which added 216 beds. Free transportation to shelters is available.
