Editor's note: The following is an unedited press release from the city of Columbia.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Public Works Department, 573-874-7250
City Snow Removal Update
COLUMBIA, MO (February 21, 2008) -The City Public Works Department said today that snow and ice removal operations started at 3:00 a.m. Crews pre-treated first-, second- and critical- priority streets before arrival of the wintry mix.
Once priority streets are passable or clear, work will shift to residential areas, since this event includes ice.
Crews are split into two shifts and will work through the night, if necessary.
To run plowing operations as efficiently as possible, citizens are asked to keep parked cars off streets, if possible. Parked cars are obstacles to street and make plowing maneuvers hazardous.
The snow operations unit will maintain contact with the Joint Communications office to handle all emergency situations. The City’s snow removal map is available online at www.GoColumbiaMo.com for citizens to view the priority status.
Why do plow trucks sometimes have their plows up during snowstorms?
When the snow plows make trips to and from the street division facility to get more treatment material, they may go over streets that have already been treated.
If streets have already been treated, crews raise the plows so they do not remove salt/cinders/calcium chloride that has already been put down.
Plows may also be raised to insure ice/snow is not bladed back into citizen’s driveways if the street has already been treated to a safe and passable condition.