The Lake County Division of Transportation (DOT) is gearing up for another season of wintry weather.
County officials said the division is responsible for keeping 26 identified routes covering 835 miles of roadway cleared of snow and ice. This includes county roads only, which are marked with a five-sided blue and gold route marker.
The DOT did a dry run of all of its plowing trucks and equipment last week to sniff out any mechanical problems in advance. Beyond those basic preparations for snow season, the county is also trying to give commuters more tools for judging conditions themselves. Drivers can also check lakecountypassage.com throughout the winter for real-time updates on road conditions, including traffic information and photos of specific streets. The website also allows drivers to sign up to receive winter traffic alerts through social media or their phones.
County officials are also working on a frequently asked questions list to help give some perspective on the county's side of the operation.
Plow drivers typically work in 12-hour shifts until a storm event has been sufficiently cleared. Above all, the county said drivers should take it slow and avoid driving too close to plow trucks, who often need to make sudden stops or turns.
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