COLUMBIA — By 4 p.m. Monday, city road crews had worked to clear snow and ice from more than half of Columbia’s residential streets, said Jill Stedem, public information officer for the Public Works department.
One of the tandem double-axle dump trucks has been taken out of service for what Stedem calls “minor engine troubles,” leaving 16 big trucks working. Three of those trucks are motor-graders that have no spreading capabilities. Only one of the city’s five pick-up trucks fitted with snowplows are still being used.
“The smaller pickups just weren’t big enough to handle the ice/snow combination,” Stedem said, “They weren’t a huge benefit, so we haven’t really lost any momentum without them.”
Two of the smaller trucks went down over the weekend and a third developed engine trouble Monday.
City departments began meeting with the joint communications center at 4 Monday afternoon to coordinate city services as the storm conditions continue.
Stedem said that Public Works is monitoring temperatures; if priority streets refreeze, road crews will shift their attention back to them from residential streets.