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The DOT winter maintenance and snow-clearing operations cover a network of over 10,800 lane-miles of roadways, as well as commuter parking lots and state facilities. The state is making efforts to replace outdated plow trucks with new models to deliver better service and increase capacity since there will likely be less downtime due to repairs caused by older vehicles.
"Our state's transportation infrastructure is directly tied to the economic wellbeing of our state and our ability to grow jobs, and it is imperative that we have the tools needed to provide our state's residents with a best-in-class system, including during the winter weather events," Malloys aid. "We are preparing for winter weather like never before - our efforts and new initiatives are critical to mitigating the impact of severe weather."
The current snow and ice fleet consists of 632 trucks, of which 275 have been identified as overdue for replacement. With the new vehicles, the DOT will retire 114 of the old trucks by auctioning some and using the remainder for spare parts. The state said that the average life of a typical plow truck is 12 years, but plow trucks are being replaced at an average age of 16 years.
Among the additions to the fleet are two new front line trucks dedicated specifically to the CTfastrrak guideway. The DOT also has 205 private contractor trucks at the ready to complement state plow crews, if needed.
“Snow and ice removal is a core function of the CTDOT and we need to be confident that our trucks are in a state of constant readiness. That means making smart investments and upgrades to ensure the reliability of our front-line snow-fighting vehicles and support equipment,” Redeker said. “Our new trucks, and the steadfast men and women who operate them, as well as those in support positions behind the scenes, will allow us continue to get the job done more effectively, efficiently and at less cost to taxpayers.”
The state said that it has taken measures such as purchasing tandem double-wing plows that clear more than 24 feet of road in a single pass, which have resulted in an average savings of more than $32,000 per truck.
The state is also currently in the process of stockpiling salt and liquid deicers, and has 72,000 tons of salt and 417,000 gallons of liquid deicers on hand. The DOT has purchased three Salt Slurry units that grind salt and inject liquid deicers, which can be used for pretreatment for cold trouble areas and provide quicker clearing of roads.
The department is also transitioning to using carbide long wear plow blades, which last an entire winter season, as opposed to the steel blades that are currently being used and last only one or two storms.
The fleet enhancements come as a result of an initiative started by Redeker in 2001 to improve the state's existing fleet of maintainer trucks. This initiative has included reaching out to drivers and soliciting feedback to address areas such as functionality, safety, warranty, driver well-being and cost.
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