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Street manager outlines Owensboro winter operations: routes, fleet and brine use
Summary
Street Manager Andrew Osborne described Owensboro’s winter plan: six snow routes covering about 130 miles, a fleet that includes six tandem dump trucks and three brine trucks, on‑site stockpiles (1,200 gallons brine, 2,500 tons salt, 6,000 gallons calcium chloride) and pre-treatment rules for brine application.
Andrew Osborne, the city’s street manager, presented the city commission on Sept. 2 with a detailed account of winter operations and how crews prepare for and respond to inclement weather. "Our winter operation fleet includes 6 tandem dump trucks, 2 single axle dump track dump trucks, all equipped with salt spreaders and snow plows," Osborne said.
Osborne told commissioners the department maintains 1,200 gallons of salt brine on-site and can apply brine up to 72 hours before a snow event provided road temperatures are above 15°F; brine application is avoided when rain is expected because precipitation would wash the treatment away. He said salting routes typically takes about four hours, while salting and plowing together can take about eight hours, and each salting route uses roughly 80 tons of salt at an application rate of 200–400 pounds per lane-mile. The department also stores 2,500 tons of salt and 6,000 gallons of calcium chloride, which is added to salt when temperatures are below 26°F to enhance melting.
During questions, Commissioner Bob Glenn asked whether primary and secondary routes are both covered when brining; Osborne said both are treated, with primaries prioritized during severe storms to maintain emergency access and secondaries addressed afterward. Glenn asked whether the brine is beet juice; Osborne said, "Nope. It is just salt brine."
