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Hickory public works outlines brine, plow and pickup plans after sleet-heavy storm
Summary
City of Hickory Public Works director Steve Miller said crews began brining about 72 hours before the storm, applied roughly 20,000 gallons of brine, used about 300 tons of salt and prioritized main thoroughfares; residential plowing and some garbage routes will be delayed while crews catch up.
Steve Miller, City of Hickory Public Works director, said the department began brining about 72 hours before the recent winter event and that crews applied about 20,000 gallons of salt brine before the storm hit. "We're working basically nonstop," Miller said, describing continuous plow and salt-and-sand shifts to keep main roads open and respond to emergency needs.
Miller said the city's production capacity at the salt-brine facility is roughly 5,000 gallons per hour, and that crews used about 300 tons of rock salt during the response — roughly three times a normal snow event for the department. He cautioned that chemical treatments have limits: "salt does not work particularly well when you get below 25 degrees," and the city saw lows near 9 degrees, which reduced treatment effectiveness and made plowing more difficult.
The department prioritized main thoroughfares and bridges so emergency vehicles could move; Miller said the city is responsible for about 750 lane miles, which requires sequencing residential clearings after higher-traffic routes. "We plow and we treat the residential or the thoroughfares first," he said, adding that heavy sleet bonded quickly to pavement and resisted plow cutting.
Miller listed equipment available for storms: three brine trucks, 13 snowplows, six soft spreaders, loaders, backhoes and one motor grader. He noted downtown snow must be hauled away because there is nowhere to store it, and warned of refreezing over the weekend that could impair travel again.
On sanitation, Miller said crews were limited for about two days after the storm, but routes are being caught up beginning Monday and the landfill reopened yesterday to resume full operations. "We will get to you as quick as we can," he said, urging patience while crews work through backlog.
The department plans additional brining on major thoroughfares and bridges before the next forecasted snow event and will continue plowing and treatment operations as conditions allow. Miller closed by thanking staff, police and fire for their work and reassuring residents that emergency calls would be prioritized.
