Essex County Highways Reminds Motorists to Take Extra Precautions as Winter Conditions hit Windsor-Essex

ESSEX COUNTY, ON - As we begin another Essex County Winter, motorists need to take extra precautions and adjust their driving habits to cold, icy, and snowy conditions. Snow and ice on roadways can reduce tire traction, while vehicle exhaust and ice fog can reduce visibility. In partnership with the Ontario Good Roads Association, the County of Essex encourages residents to follow some basic “Snow How” when driving:

• Be nice on the ice: Give yourself twice the space between vehicles, and pedestrians.

• Go slow in the snow: Slow down and drive according to weather conditions, not the speed limit.

• It’s not a race, give plows space: Never pass a plow. Snow plows are extra wide, and can create clouds of snow – both of which reduce visibility and increase risk of a collision. It’s best to wait for the plow to pull over before you pass. It’s also important to keep parked cars off roadways so plows can do their job.

“We just want to send a friendly reminder to residents to slow down and take precaution as the winter weather arrives” said Tom Bateman, Director of Transportation Services for the County of Essex. “Our crews and equipment are ready in anticipation of upcoming weather events”.

When a winter storm is expected, Essex County Highways have a plan:

• First, hills and bridges are treated in advance of a storm to make them easier to plow.

• As soon as snow begins, salt trucks head out and treat main roads first, followed by smaller routes.

• Plowing begins in a similar order. With large amounts of snow, plowing usually begins once the snow begins to accumulate on the road surfaces.

Overview of Essex County's Winter Control Program

Essex County Highways is responsible for 1503 lane kilometres of road network of various classes of highway. Winter maintenance services are provided from four active depots, which are spread out across the County, and cover 18 plow routes. Essex County Highways has a two-step approach towards preventing slippery conditions. These techniques include pre-wetting of the salt prior to being applied to the road and anti-icing, which involves direct application of the brine to the dry road. Our Winter Maintenance Program also includes:

  • a Global Positioning System (GPS) to track salt application to monitor use for both safety and environmental protection;
  • Computerized controls on vehicles to precisely spread salt on roads;
  • The use of salt-brine solution on the roads before snowfalls to prevent snow and ice from binding to the pavement; and
  • Weather stations to update weather and pavement conditions.

Fast Facts

The Essex County Winter Control Program:

  • 1503 kilometres of road;
  • 87 bridges;
  • 4 Active Depots;
  • 25,000 tonnes of salt storage capacity;
  • 18 salt/plow routes;
  • Day and night crews;
  • Continuous weather monitoring;
  • Road patrols;
  • Average annual salt usage – 18,000 tonnes;
  • Average annual program expenditures – $3,000,000;
  • Typically respond to 70 winter “events” per season.