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Highway department reports heavy winter maintenance, major salt use and deferred patching until drier weather
Summary
Marathon County Highway staff said crews responded to multi-part winter storms, used about 2,200 tons of salt on county roads and 3,500 tons on state roads in December, and are awaiting drier weather to begin patching; asbestos testing and potential fire-department training were also noted at county facilities.
Director Lang told the Infrastructure Committee on Jan. 8 that county highway crews have been heavily engaged in winter maintenance after a sequence of rain, heavy wet snow and high winds that created multi-day events.
"We did go through about 2,200 tons on the county system for the month of December and 3,500 tons on the state system," Lang said, describing how freeze-thaw cycles and moisture complicate pothole patching and make it difficult to perform durable repairs until drier weather arrives. He said crews have prioritized keeping roads passable while planning to move into patching and clearing/grubbing as conditions permit.
Lang also reported asbestos testing on houses at a county facility and said staff are working with local fire departments to see whether those structures could be used for training—an approach that could reduce demolition costs and provide training opportunities for fire personnel. He said the department will continue to coordinate site planning with an architect in the coming weeks.
Next steps: highway staff will continue winter maintenance operations, begin patching when weather allows and return with updates on facility remediation and site planning.
