Salt stockpiled, new state trucks ready to combat winter’s worst

By John Howell
Posted 11/25/15

By JOHN HOWELL

When the snow starts flying, motorists can expect to see 13 more state plows on the road and can rest assured they won’t run short on salt anytime soon.

To underscore that the …

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Salt stockpiled, new state trucks ready to combat winter’s worst

Posted

By JOHN HOWELL

When the snow starts flying, motorists can expect to see 13 more state plows on the road and can rest assured they won’t run short on salt anytime soon.

To underscore that the Rhode Island Department of Transportation is taking a fresh and innovative approach to dealing with winter conditions, Gov. Gina Raimondo joined RIDOT and Rhode Island Emergency Management officials in front of two shiny new $250,000 plows in the shadow of 20,000 tons of road salt appropriately protected from the elements in a wrapping of black plastic at the state salt barn off Jefferson Boulevard in Warwick Tuesday morning.

The salt reserve, which won’t get tapped until supplies are depleted and supply is scarce, is indicative of “new ways of doing business,” DOT Director Peter Alviti said.

Raimondo hailed the state’s first salt reserve as an indication of the department’s focus on planning followed by emphasis on maintenance and accountability.

And Alviti sounded confident that not only is the state prepared for this winter – from plowing and salting roads to filling potholes – but that it also can reduce costs and do a better job than private contractors. The 13 new plows join a fleet of 115 trucks. In addition the state uses about 200 outside vendors with 350 additional plows, but maybe not as much this winter.

“We’re always going to need a good private force,” Alviti said in response to media questions. Pressed on the performance of contractors, he maintained that the state can “get a better end product … there is no reason government can’t do a better and faster job than the privates.”

There’s more to the new ways of doing business than stockpiling salt [the state now has 50,000 tons or enough to combat five average-sized storms]. The state buys salt at $58 a ton, so that’s $2.9 million worth of salt. Alviti said the new trucks are equipped with digital technology that regulates the application of salt so that when a truck slows, the rate of spreading is also reduced. The technology is also being retrofitted to trucks in the existing fleet.

According to a RIDOT release, with the forecast of winter conditions roads are pre-treated with a salt-water mixture that can reduce the overall amount of salt required during a storm by more than 60 percent. Last winter, the department achieved its lowest salt application rate, cutting usage in half over previous years while saving the state more than $1 million.

To deal with potholes, the state has contracted for two automated pothole-patching trucks, which can be increased to five if there is the demand. The vehicles, with a nose-like pipe that sprays material into potholes, were used last winter to fill 18,000 potholes. Alviti said the result is superior to cold patch and, in fact, serves as a much longer-fasting repair.

“Not only did the automated pothole patching machines increase our ability to repair potholes as quickly as possible, the repairs it made are much more durable than possible by hand, making them last dramatically longer and virtually eliminating the need to refill the same pothole,” Alviti said.

Manpower is also being increased, although it was not clear how exactly would impact the department budget.

Alviti said additional drivers would be available for the new trucks by converting existing unfilled administrative positions into maintenance positions. As an example, he said a photographer’s position has been eliminated in favor of creating an additional driver.

A total of 40 positions, which represents 5 percent of RIDOT’s total workforce, are being transferred to the Department’s Highway and Bridge Maintenance Division for improved bridge maintenance, drainage cleaning, and repair and installation of pavement markings according to the department release.

Alviti did not see any impact on the budget, even though he was short of specifics as to how many vacant jobs were being filled and what might be the differential in pay. He said the additional 13 trucks – a cost of $3,250,000 – are part of the budget.

Peter Gaynor, director of the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency, said winter storm plans – from establishing shelters to working with National Gird on how to cope with power outages – have been reviewed. RIEMA has also made Code Red, a system used in getting out storm warning and other vital information, available to cities and towns.

“It’s been a busy summer and hopefully it will be a dull winter,” Gaynor said.

Alviti and Raimondo agreed a dull winter would be welcome.

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  • richardcorrente

    It's good to know that we have increased the pothole repairing equipment and workforce and yes, I will also be happy to see a milder winter, but I will believe we have a better solution when I see it. Last winter left us with road repair that still hasn't been fixed. If potholes go unattended this year I (and others) will be loudly asking "Why?"

    Merry Christmas to all!

    Richard Corrente

    Democrat for Mayor - 2016

    Monday, November 30, 2015 Report this