Mid-Missouri crews treat roads, snow routes

UPDATE 1/5 6:35 a.m.: According to a media release from the City of Columbia, crews have been on priority routes since the beginning of the snow fall.

Some routes will still have snow covering them, but crews are continuing to work through the commute.

Even though the roads are being treated, use caution when driving.

ORIGINAL STORY: Mid-Missouri road crews were out in full force Wednesday night, treating roads for snow.

MoDOT crews turned their focus to I-70, and highways 63, 50 and 54 while Columbia’s Public Works Street Division began treating snow routes two hours earlier than planned.

Columbia Public Works crews are set to work 12-hour shifts with a new shift planned to report in at 9:00 a.m. Thursday morning.

Emergency responders also took time to remind drivers to be patient with them during the expected winter weather.

“You also got to realize that the fire department has to get to you, so it’s not as fast of a response time,” said Division Chief Ryan Reuter with the Cooper County Fire Protection District. “We have to be safe at what we are doing.”

Columbia Public Works also asked residents to move vehicles off the designated snow routes in anticipation of plowing the snow. They said right now, moving vehicles is voluntary, but once two inches of accumulation is reached, cars will be fined $100 and towed at the owner’s expense.

Columbia crews will concentrate on priority routes until snowfall stops and those routes are passable. If snowfall does not exceed four inches, residential streets that are not designated snow routes will not be treated or plowed outside of normal hours.

For Columbia’s priority snow routes, click here.