LOCAL

Louisville Metro Government has a historically large salt pile for roads this winter

Louisville Courier Journal

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It's unclear how much snow Louisville will receive this winter, but the city is well-prepared to treat streets for any amount of snowfall in the upcoming months, Mayor Greg Fischer said Wednesday.

The city has 49,000 tons of salt on hand, according to Fischer, and it is is believed to be the largest collection that Louisville Metro Government has begun with for any snow season.

Two-thirds of the salt will be stored underground in the Louisville Mega Cavern on Taylor Avenue, and the remainder will be divided up among four above ground locations "so it can be loaded quickly onto vehicles as is needed to be spread all over our roadways," Fischer said Wednesday.

With little snowfall last winter, the total salt used in the 2019-20 snow season in Louisville was 4,500 tons.

"Our snow team will also pre-treat roads with brine ahead of snowfall when appropriate so we can remove the snow more easily," Fischer said. "Brine is a salt water solution that has worked out real well for us. It makes it harder for snow and ice to stick to the pavement, and brine also reduces slick spots that can cause accidents."

Metro Public Works Director Vanessa Burns said Louisville residents "need to stay home" during bad weather conditions and to "only go out if necessary."

"Even if you drive well in bad weather, it's better not to take unnecessary risks," Burns said, adding that if people do drive in wintry weather, they should drive slowly and leave double the stopping distance as they would during normal conditions.

City snow routes include many different types of roads, from arterial and collector roads to bus route sand roads to major employers and emergency facilities for a total of 2,700 two-lane miles, according to the city. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, as well as private contractors, also help to clear routes in the city.

"During a snow event, our crews cover nearly 600 lane miles of roadway in Jefferson County and work to ensure interstates are clear and safe for travel,” KYTC District 5 Chief District Engineer Matt Bullock said in a statement. “Our snow fighters are prepared and ready to respond anytime winter weather impacts our area.”

Louisville Fire Department spokesman Bobby Cooper reminded people to be cautious with space heaters, maintain home heating equipment and use working smoke detectors.

"Early response is critical when responding to any kind of emergency, whether it's a emergency medical incident or whether it's a structure fire," Cooper said. "So the work of the snow team allows us to get on scene quickly and safely."

Louisville National Weather Service meteorologist Joe Sullivan said Wednesday that it will likely be wet during this upcoming winter season. However, the type of precipitation depends on how cold it gets — and it is difficult to predict if the wet weather will coincide with lower temperatures, Sullivan said.

"I think we're going to have some snow, but I don't think we're going to be above normal," Sullivan said.

Contact Ben Tobin at bjtobin@gannett.com and 502-377-5675 or follow on Twitter @Ben__Tobin.