Dunn County highway crews say trucks, salt and staffing ready as winter approaches

Brent, a county highway staff member, told the Vanders Qualls Highway Committee that the department has completed salt and sand stockpiling and “all the pretty much all the trucks are ready for plow season.” He said crews have been out shouldering, patching and using two spray-patch trucks and that they will run those trucks “as long as we can this winter” while weather permits.

The committee heard that winter-grade oil is now obtained from St. Croix, and Brent said the product “flows through the trucks a lot easier” and handles cold weather better. He described mutual-aid assistance to neighboring counties — sending a crash trailer and operators to Pepin for paving help — and said the county has completed quarterly employee reviews and cleaned and winterized shop equipment in storage near the fairgrounds.

Dan, identified in the discussion as a staff member supervising shop operations, outlined routine winter preparations: state-route trucks are fully equipped, triaxles and sanders have been fitted, and wings and wing posts will be installed next week so crews can be ready quickly. He also confirmed the newly arrived loader is in the shop and said interviews for a mechanic/welder yielded “a couple of really good prospects.”

The staff emphasized safety equipment upgrades. Brent said the department plans to equip flagging and lane-closure trucks with distance meters so signs can be set at appropriate distances (he mentioned 500 feet as a typical distance for some operations).

The meeting concluded this section with praise from staff that the public has expressed appreciation for paving work, while staff noted some shoulders and localized maintenance will continue. No formal action was taken; this was an informational report.

The committee moved next to project and funding updates.