OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — As we prepare for the upcoming winter storm, road crews across Northeast Wisconsin are gearing up for what could possibly be a very long next couple of days.
For Oshkosh Public Works, they have been out all Monday afternoon treating the streets.
“Right now we’ve got crews applying brine to all of our primary and secondary routes,” said James Rabe, City of Oshkosh director of public works.
Applying brine to the roads helps prevent snow and ice from sticking to the payment.
“Then when our plows come through, it’s a lot easier. They can just peel it off. Once it starts bonding into the payment, it makes it a lot [more] difficult to remove,” Rabe said.
In a winter event like this, the city normally calls their full road crews in about 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. so they can work on the main routes before the morning commute.
“All of our routes are designed to be completed in an eight hour shift so depending on where a street is in a route it could be first thing out, or one of the last streets done,” Rabe said.
He is asking people to be patient. He said right now, they are short staffed, so it might take longer than expected to get some of the streets treated when the winter weather arrives.
“We have some routes that are not fully staffed so that our other staff are coming in and filling in once they get their routes done, they’re jumping on some of the un-staffed routes so they can get those moving,” Rabe said.
And while accidents do unfortunately happen in these dangerous winter conditions, one of the area’s biggest towing companies says they’ll be working around the clock to help anyone who needs it.
“Fully sitting on standby, trucks are ready to go, if you need any help and you get stuck. [We're] reminding everybody to slow down, move over and drive a safe and slow speed,” said Nicholas Van, Fox City’s Towing.
As both the towing company and city road crews continue to prep for the long night ahead, they’re asking you to give them space if you see them at work.
