Published: January 24, 2008 11:06 am      

Light snow hasn’t lessened county’s load

High fuel costs plow through budget

DANVILLE — Light snows have done little to cut a break for the county highway department dealing with ever-increasing fuel costs.

This winter has been less than harsh, with few heavy snows to block the roads and warrant a run by snowplows.

But Vermilion County Highway Commissioner Bob Andrews said the light snows are as much of a problem as heavier precipitation when it comes to calling out the trucks.

“The big ones are easy to plow off,” he said. “But the small ones still cost as much.”

Costs include running the trucks and spreading the sand/salt mixture as well as aluminum chloride to combat the slick spots that develop with light snows. As many as a dozen drivers hit ditches Tuesday morning following a light snow the night before.

Crews got to work on Tuesday and immediately headed out to handle the roads

“Even though there wasn’t enough snow, it was slick,” he said.

More snow means more hours on the road normally, but the frequent light snows aren’t helping in that department either. Overtime pay associated with running the trucks is only slightly less than previous years for the county, Andrews

Also connected with this is the fuel pricing. Andrews said the problem has not leveled off for his department.

“It’s gotten worse,” he said. “Last year I had two adjustments to the budget just because of the price of fuel.”

The highway department covers 160 miles of roads in Vermilion County, up from previous years. Andrews said he has taken on the 12-mile stretch of Catlin-Homer Road, along with six miles of pavement between Allerton and Sidell.

He said there’s no way of getting around the fuel prices.

“So far, I haven’t seen a hybrid snowplow,” Andrews said.

The county employs seven snowplow drivers, each with a route of between 20 and 25 miles. When weather conditions demand it, drivers consolidate routes and concentrate on the roads more often used by drivers, such as Henning Road.

Route consolidation doesn’t happen often, Andrews said, adding the February blizzard last year was the last time for such a move.