Road crews ready for snow

Heavy snow and icy roadways can be expected up and down the Western Slope as our latest winter storm continues to evolve.

C-DOT crews spent much of Tuesday preparing their equipment for battle at their Grand Junction headquarters.

The headquarters is responsible for over 15-hundred miles worth of roadway in Mesa County alone.

C-DOT Region 3 deputy maintenance superintendent T.J. Blake explained that his crew is ready to attack whatever Mother Nature throws our way, and reminded drivers to take it easy on the wintry roads.

"You know, the main thing [is to] just stay back, give them room, time to work, you know?  Sit back, relax, and watch the road from behind them," he said.  "You know the road's a lot better shape behind them then it is in front..."

C-DOT has 127 maintenance workers between their Grand Junction, Montrose, and Glenwood Springs headquarters.

These men and women will be pushing more than 70 snow plows, ready to attack all the snow and ice expected on the roadways.

Meanwhile, Wednesday's commute to work is looking like it could be a sloppy one.

In Grand Junction, city street crews have loaded up for what could be some of the messiest weather in at least a couple of years.

Crews are planning on pre-treating some of the typical trouble spots with magnesium chloride in an effort to get a head start in the fight against the snow.

Darren Starr, Street Systems & Solid Waste Manager for the city explained, why his crews want to stay ahead of the game.  He said, "Storms are really tough on you when you're trying to play catch up."

In addition to the two mag-chloride trucks, city crews will also be patrolling in seven salt trucks.

Crews were scheduled to begin to hit the roadways at around 8pm Tuesday evening.

The city will prioritize its response, making sure hospitals, emergency responders, and schools have as little weather interruption as possible.