Columbia Public Works, Boone County crews watching roads ahead of snow

Columbia Public Works will bring a crew in late Friday night to begin treating roads.

The city said the 13-person crew will arrive at 11 p.m. to monitor conditions and treat priority routes when possible.

A 27-person crew is scheduled to come in at 7 a.m. Saturday to also focus on priority routes.Workers from other city departments are scheduled to come in around 10 a.m. Saturday to help with plowing, bringing the total to 40 people.

Boone County Road & Bridge said it would bring 12 people into work overnight to monitor road conditions. A 35-person say shift would then take over responsibility for plowing and treating roads.

Both agencies urged drivers to consider moving their parked cars from the road overnight. Barry Dalton, spokesman for Columbia Public Works, said the city can ticket or tow cars parked on priority routes if more than two inches of snow falls.

“We’re asking people move off of priority routes now, before they go to sleep,” Dalton said. “If we get two inches of snow at 4 a.m., and you were waiting until 7 a.m., you may already be ticketed and towed.”

The county does not have such a rule. Bryan Boyce with Boone County Road & Bridge said a vehicle-free road makes it easier for both the plow drivers and the people living there.

“When there’s cars parked, we have to plow around them,” Boyce said. “It makes it very difficult for the plow driver, and then it makes it very difficult for the person that has to dig their car out.”

You can find a list of the city’s priority routes here.

The city also said residents can sign up for text alerts by texting COLUMBIAPW to 888-777.

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