Sensors help ODOT keep roads clear during winter

WINTERSVILLE, Ohio -- Information used Wednesday morning by Ohio Department of Transportation road crews when snow started falling was available through more than 100 road sensors scattered throughout the Buckeye State.

"You can go online to the ODOT website and click on buckeyetraffic.org," said Rick Hunsicker, ODOT's Jefferson County manager. "We can look out west and see what's happening. Our predominant storms come out of the southwest for the most part. We watch them come up and see temperature changes."

Hunsicker said there were at least a dozen trucks on 12 different 40-mile routes treating roads in Jefferson County Wednesday morning.

"As soon as we see the temperatures fall too low below 32, we use some calcium added to the salt to help get the salt to activate and work much quicker in the colder temperatures," said Hunsicker.

ODOT relocated one of the sensors to State Route 7 around mile maker 14 near Mingo Junction.

"It will pick up if there's rainfall, if the pavement is wet or if the pavement is dry," said Hunsicker. "It actually can sense if it's chemically treated and it will let us know there's material on that road."