SPOKANE, Wash. — With less snow than usual, road crews in Spokane are taking advantage of the mild winter to tackle some projects they can’t always get to this time of year.
Crews are still de-icing and plowing Spokane streets as needed, but they’ve also been getting to some road repairs that usually have to wait until spring.
Workers have been filling potholes, replacing road markings, cleaning streets and doing line work.
“When we get those breaks, temperatures slightly warmer than average, above freezing, we can take that opportunity to take care of some of those other issues,” said Ryan Overton from Washington State Department of Transportation.
WSDOT also said they’ve noticed more than average freezing fog this winter, meaning crews have done more de-icing than plowing.
Matt Zarecor, a Public Works Engineer for Spokane County, said it is the kind of winter the road maintenance business dreams of.
“It’s one of those years where we’re getting snow in the mountains, where we need it for the snow pack and skiers, but in the valleys, as everybody’s seen, we’re getting mostly rain, which is great,” he said.
Like WSDOT, City of Spokane crews are also accomplishing a number of projects that typically hit a snag during heavy snowfall.
“Our staff is on seven days a week, 20 hours a day. They monitor weather 24 hours a day, and they do other things when they don’t need to plow or de-ice,” said Marlene Feist from City of Spokane.
City of Spokane crews have been busy fixing potholes, street sweeping and maintaining guardrails and signage.
The mild weather could also help save tax payer money for Spokane and Spokane County.
Spokane County said, so far, it has only spent about one-third of its winter budget.
If the weather stays warmer, the money usually reserved for snow removal could go toward more road and public works projects this spring and summer.
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