Bill Sweet was confident Tuesday afternoon that New Canaan streets would be passable, even while the town was about to be walloped by yet another winter storm. Nobody can hold a candle to us, the town highway department driver said while seated in his truck, ready for another long day and night of road clearing.
Sweet and about two dozen other highway department workers were to be on deck Tuesday night preparing for the third major winter storm to hit the town in three weeks. Drivers and mechanics began reporting to work Tuesday morning. Forecasts were calling for snow to begin falling in the area Tuesday evening. The National Weather Service expected Fairfield County to have up to a foot of snow by the time it stops falling Wednesday afternoon.
Mose Saccary, the New Canaan Highway Departments superintendent of operations, said trucks would hit the roads at about 7:30 p.m. to pre-treat streets with an anti-freezing solution. Crews were to be at work overnight Tuesday into Wednesday to keep the roads clear and passable.
The guys have been doing a great job, said Saccary, who was monitoring weather forecasts and overseeing trucks being readied at highway department headquarters. The storms are coming back to back.
Saccary said his crews were ready to roll and would have to work through at least Thursday to go over the roads well after the snow has stopped. This job may be a bit more challenging because of snow left on the sidewalks from the first two snowfalls. He was hoping there wouldnt be too much blowing snow and cold temperatures to make ice and potentially more hazardous road conditions.
Sweet said he and his fellow drivers wouldn't mind taking a rest, but the roads have to be clear.
Wed like to take a break. But we all do what we can," he said.
Are you ready for more snow to fall? Do you have a place to pile up what you shovel and plow?
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