The City of Wichita is getting its crews and vehicles ready to handle snow events during the coming winter.
Mayor Lily Wu held her weekly news conference at the Public Works Central Maintenance Facility at 1801 South McLean, with several plow trucks on display. The mayor said the city will have 8 brine trucks and more than 70 trucks with plows and spreaders. There will be three dispatch facilities to send the trucks out during winter storms. The city has 6,000 tons of a salt-sand mix that will be ready for use, and there is 10,000 tons of salt available to make an additional 20,000 tons of salt-sand mix for use on the streets.
The city will have 153 operators, just above its minimum staffing level, and Mayor Wu said the city is looking for more drivers with a commercial drivers license who can help with snow and ice season.
When winter storms move into the area, the city will work to clear streets on a priority basis, focusing first on 1,500 lane miles of emergency routes and major arterial streets, with special attention on routes serving hospitals, emergency facilities and public schools. Crews will then go to secondary routes, including residential streets that provide access to schools.
The city does not maintain federal and state highways, including the interstates, K-96, and Kellogg.
Residents will be able to track the movement of snow plows through the city’s web site at wichita.gov/snowremoval
