Page 16 - Mar/April 2016 Vol.33No.7
P. 16
METRO NASHVILLE By Phillip Jones
Preparing for Winter Storms
The Metro Nashville Public Works leaving the maintenance facility, which emergency routes before winter weather
Department was ramped up and ready resulted in uneven liquid to dry material arrives is fundamental to the City’s
to go, anticipating another challenging application, overuse of salt and premature anti-icing program, and helps prevent
winter weather season. The start of the corrosion of the truck and its systems. freezing precipitation from bonding to
holiday season also brings along the pavements. As a result, roads stay wet
start of the winter prep season, which The pre-wetting application also and clear and the City uses less salt over
entailed a significant amount of planning helps keep salt on the roadway, with time, an effective, economical and more
and groundwork to sustain a successful less material bouncing off the roadways environmentally-friendly solution than
winter operations program. The program and going to the ground water supply spreading rock salt. These capabilities
is comprised of more than 40 pieces of via storm drains and inlets. These greatly improve the efficiency of clearing
snow removal equipment with over 60 additional resources not only give the snow and ice along each of the primary
crew members servicing 28 primary Department a faster and more efficient and secondary routes.
and secondary routes. The routes are method of clearing roadways, but also
compiled of arterials and collector streets provide a more environmentally friendly All of the primary and secondary
that include the central business district, approach to snow and ice removal. routes are reviewed and inspected
area hospitals and emergency routes. In The Department will continue to use yearly for changes that may occur to the
addition to equipment and staff, Metro an innovative approach to the removal particular route, such as infrastructure
Public Works has more than 9,000 tons of snow and ice from city streets and expansion and additional lane miles. The
of salt, 100,000 gallons of brine solution, right-of-ways. The addition of the pre- primary routes are the first priority and
and 30,000 gallons of calcium chloride wet application system and additional will be cleared to a reasonable degree
available to maintain the primary storage facilities has greatly improved before starting operations on secondary
objective of reasonable mobility. The the approach to snow and ice removal, routes. During the winter months, City
Department takes an “all hands on deck” and the Department will continue to staff track potential storms 24 hours per
approach to snow and ice removal that adapt and automate as new technology day, and on-call City crews are available
involves signal construction crews, becomes available. to begin working in 12-hour shifts when
tree crews, sign crews, right-of-way winter weather is forecasted. When
maintenance crews and inspectors on Using the latest anti-icing technology, there is a snow emergency, essential
standby evaluating the conditions of the the City also recently expanded its employees, public safety, and emergency
roadways and responding to emergency capacity to make and store salt brine management staff work around the clock
calls. (liquid salt) in order to reduce its to ensure that the City of Nashville and
reliance on rock salt. Spraying salt its residents weather the storm.
Many factors during a winter storm brine on bridges, overpasses and snow
dictate planning methods and strategy. METRO IS PREPARED
The temperature, wind speed, amount of
precipitation, and traffic all play a vital 40 pieces snow removal equipment
role in establishing a successful cleanup 60 crew members
practice. To combat these extenuating 28 primary and secondary routes.
factors, the Metro Nashville Public
Works Department has added six trucks The routes are compiled of arterials
equipped with onboard pre-wetting and collector streets that include
systems that apply brine or other liquid the central business district, area
materials such as calcium chloride to dry hospitals and emergency routes.
rock salt as it exits the truck. Previously, 9,000 tons of salt
any pre-wetting application had to be 100,000 gallons of brine solution
applied to the entire load of salt prior to 30,000 gallons of calcium chloride
Metro Nashville’s equipment is kept ready to hit the
streets when weather turns bad.
16 TPW March/April 2016
Preparing for Winter Storms
The Metro Nashville Public Works leaving the maintenance facility, which emergency routes before winter weather
Department was ramped up and ready resulted in uneven liquid to dry material arrives is fundamental to the City’s
to go, anticipating another challenging application, overuse of salt and premature anti-icing program, and helps prevent
winter weather season. The start of the corrosion of the truck and its systems. freezing precipitation from bonding to
holiday season also brings along the pavements. As a result, roads stay wet
start of the winter prep season, which The pre-wetting application also and clear and the City uses less salt over
entailed a significant amount of planning helps keep salt on the roadway, with time, an effective, economical and more
and groundwork to sustain a successful less material bouncing off the roadways environmentally-friendly solution than
winter operations program. The program and going to the ground water supply spreading rock salt. These capabilities
is comprised of more than 40 pieces of via storm drains and inlets. These greatly improve the efficiency of clearing
snow removal equipment with over 60 additional resources not only give the snow and ice along each of the primary
crew members servicing 28 primary Department a faster and more efficient and secondary routes.
and secondary routes. The routes are method of clearing roadways, but also
compiled of arterials and collector streets provide a more environmentally friendly All of the primary and secondary
that include the central business district, approach to snow and ice removal. routes are reviewed and inspected
area hospitals and emergency routes. In The Department will continue to use yearly for changes that may occur to the
addition to equipment and staff, Metro an innovative approach to the removal particular route, such as infrastructure
Public Works has more than 9,000 tons of snow and ice from city streets and expansion and additional lane miles. The
of salt, 100,000 gallons of brine solution, right-of-ways. The addition of the pre- primary routes are the first priority and
and 30,000 gallons of calcium chloride wet application system and additional will be cleared to a reasonable degree
available to maintain the primary storage facilities has greatly improved before starting operations on secondary
objective of reasonable mobility. The the approach to snow and ice removal, routes. During the winter months, City
Department takes an “all hands on deck” and the Department will continue to staff track potential storms 24 hours per
approach to snow and ice removal that adapt and automate as new technology day, and on-call City crews are available
involves signal construction crews, becomes available. to begin working in 12-hour shifts when
tree crews, sign crews, right-of-way winter weather is forecasted. When
maintenance crews and inspectors on Using the latest anti-icing technology, there is a snow emergency, essential
standby evaluating the conditions of the the City also recently expanded its employees, public safety, and emergency
roadways and responding to emergency capacity to make and store salt brine management staff work around the clock
calls. (liquid salt) in order to reduce its to ensure that the City of Nashville and
reliance on rock salt. Spraying salt its residents weather the storm.
Many factors during a winter storm brine on bridges, overpasses and snow
dictate planning methods and strategy. METRO IS PREPARED
The temperature, wind speed, amount of
precipitation, and traffic all play a vital 40 pieces snow removal equipment
role in establishing a successful cleanup 60 crew members
practice. To combat these extenuating 28 primary and secondary routes.
factors, the Metro Nashville Public
Works Department has added six trucks The routes are compiled of arterials
equipped with onboard pre-wetting and collector streets that include
systems that apply brine or other liquid the central business district, area
materials such as calcium chloride to dry hospitals and emergency routes.
rock salt as it exits the truck. Previously, 9,000 tons of salt
any pre-wetting application had to be 100,000 gallons of brine solution
applied to the entire load of salt prior to 30,000 gallons of calcium chloride
Metro Nashville’s equipment is kept ready to hit the
streets when weather turns bad.
16 TPW March/April 2016
