ODOT release – Between Jan. 12 and Jan. 19, ODOT crews worked roughly 20,000 hours of overtime, used 6.5 million pounds of salt and 422,000 gallons of de-icer to clear roads of snow, ice and debris. SALEM – The most recent winter storm brought ice, high winds, heavy snowfall, whiteout conditions and below freezing temperatures to almost every corner of the state. While some communities and crews are still recovering from this storm and the full scale of the impacts remains to be seen, we have some impressive numbers to share between Jan. 12 and Jan. 19. Employees in Region 1, which includes the Portland metro area, portions of the Columbia Gorge and north coast, used 154,860 gallons of liquid de-icer and 2.5 million pounds of salt. Region 2, which includes the Willamette Valley, the northern half of Oregon’s coast and the Cascade Range, used 113,601 gallons of de-icer and 1.3 million pounds of salt – the most they’d ever used in a single storm. “Numbers alone can’t capture the impacts of winter weather,” ODOT Director Kris Strickler said. “But they certainly illustrate the expansive efforts of our people working across the state.” Our employees put in roughly 20,000 hours of overtime during this storm responding to many issues. From Jan. 12 to Jan. 19, employees responded to 511 reports of hazardous debris, 394 reports of hazardous trees, 95 landslides and rockfalls – and that doesn’t include miscellaneous events involving helping stranded motorists and addressing potholes. About 1.2 million people visited our travel conditions website TripCheck from Jan. 12 to Jan. 19, up a whopping 92% from the previous week. The busiest day was Jan. 13 when there were 375,000 visitors. While we expect wear and tear on our fleet and equipment, this storm led to damage to 10 plows, two sanders, and 20 trucks of various types, often the result of being hit by other drivers. Our staff live in the communities they serve and take pride in their jobs. So, while our equipment may not weather the storm, we want everyone to get home safely. “We’re thankful that so many Oregonians heeded our warnings, and those of weather forecasters and other agencies, to stay home,” Director Strickler said. Responding to winter storms takes significant funding, whether we’re talking about roughly $600,000 in fuel in a week or the costs of ensuring a robust response with more than 20,000 hours of additional staff time during this event. “Heading into this winter we were pretty concerned about our ability to provide the service we have in the past,” Strickler said. “Inflation combined with forecast fuels tax declines meant cuts to maintenance around the state.” Strickler added, “We are still working with our partners to find a long-term solution, but we are very grateful for the anticipated infusion of $19 million in one-time funding from the governor and legislature. The promise of that additional funding made a real difference in our ability to boost our staffing capacity on our roads when it was needed most.”
