ODOT District 1 provides winter statistics

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

While the bitter cold temperatures of the past couple of days has brought winter crashing home to residents of the Van Wert County area, statistics released Wednesday by the Ohio Department of Transportation’s District 1 show this winter has been milder so far — and less costly — than last year.

Districtwide, ODOT county garages have used 19,875 tons of salt, 550,791 gallons of de-icer, and have traveled 357,510 miles, at a cost of $3,023,009. That compares with the winter of 2017-18 up to this time, with 39,204 tons of salt and 462,692 gallons of de-icer used and 531,648 miles driven, at a cost of $4,966,517.

The only district statistic that has increased this year is the use of de-icer, which could be mostly attributable to Van Wert County’s increase in de-icer use from 77,424 gallons last year to a whopping 221,426 gallons this winter.

Other county stats for this winter include the use of 2,075 tons of salt, compared to 5,400 tons last winter, and 31,265 miles driven, versus 56,792 in 2017-18. For Van Wert County, the cost of keeping roads open has been $402,080 this winter, compared to $672,531 last winter.

In Paulding County, a total of 2,103 tons of salt have been used thus far, with 31,555 gallons of de-icer, and a total of 35,645 miles driven. That compares to 4,796 tons of salt, 40,649 gallons of de-icer, and 67,158 miles driven last winter. The total cost so far this winter has been $158,841, versus $615,519 by this time last winter.

In neighboring Putnam County this winter, 2,531 tons of salt have been used, as well as 25,007 gallons of de-icer, while 45,107 miles have been driven so far. That compares to 4,336 tons of salt, 34,815 gallons of de-icer, and 68,180 miles driven by this time last winter. The cost was also less this winter so far: $326,438 this winter, versus $595,825 last winter.

With a possibility of 2-4 more inches of snow on Thursday, it remains to be seen how this winter will ultimately stack up to last year’s winter snow removal total.