Snow Plowing & Salting Information

Public Works

Snow Plowing & Salting Q&A
 

When do you apply salt to the roadways?

When a winter storm is approaching, Robbinsville Township employees utilize six dump trucks to apply salt to the roadways. When we apply salt, we follow an anti-icing policy which involves spreading salt as early as possible to prevent snow and ice from bonding to the pavement surface and keep it in a plowable condition.  This practice significantly reduces the amount of salt needed to maintain our roadways in a passable condition.  Currently, we utilize treated rock salt for anti-icing.

How long does it take to spread salt on the roads in the township? 

Presently, it takes about 3.5 to 4 hours to apply salt to all of the roads in the township.

Are you investigating any alternatives to current anti/de-icing materials? 

We are always looking for smarter ways to accomplish the many tasks we perform more efficiently and cost effectively. We once considered a setup to treat our rock salt with liquid calcium before applying it to the roadways. This practice allows the salt to work more effectively, therefore reducing the amount of salt used. The downfall to this practice is that calcium is highly corrosive to our trucks & equipment, potentially creating the need to have to replace brake lines, fuel lines, rotors, drums, etc., therefore, we decided against it. Another option utilized by our neighbor, Hamilton Township, is using liquid salt (brine) as an anti-icing chemical. Brine can be applied well ahead of the onset of forecast frozen precipitation and is significantly less expensive than most other chemicals used for anti-icing. Although this practice has proven to work on highways such as the NJ Turnpike, the 95’s, etc. it remains to be seen whether it is as effective on local roads which have considerably less traffic. If you do not have the traffic to dissipate the melted snow, the brine solution becomes diluted and in colder temperatures can freeze and do more harm than good. These roads typically would still have to be salted so we would be doing twice the amount of work

How much snow must fall before you begin snow plowing operations and what roads get plowed first?

When a weather forecast for snow is received, and the forecast is calling for plowable snows (usually 2 inches or more), plows are installed on all trucks and equipment prior to the onset of the storm. When plowable snow accumulates on the pavement, Robbinsville Township employees begin plowing operations on all primary roads. On the primary roads, every attempt is made to keep the roadway clear of snow “curb to curb”. Primary roads are maintained in a passable condition throughout the entire storm. Once the primary roads have been deemed passable, and that condition can be sustained with fewer resources, (usually when the snowfall ends) the plows are sent into the developments. We will then plow the development streets from “curb to curb”. Driveways will not be cleared.

How many miles of roadway is Robbinsville responsible for?

Robbinsville has approximately 90 miles of roads that are township responsibility. Route 33, Route 130, Robbinsville Edinburg Road, Robbinsville Allentown Road, Church Street, Windsor Road from Main St. in Windsor westerly, and Old York Road are all either state or county responsibility.

How many vehicles do you use for plowing?

Currently, there are 18 trucks, 1 loader, 1 backhoe and 1 tractor that the Township owns and utilizes for plowing. During heavier snow accumulations, our sanitation trucks can be used as plow vehicles. Private contractors may also be utilized to supplement the plowing operation.

Who is responsible for clearing sidewalks?
The property owner is responsible for clearing the sidewalks. When clearing sidewalks / driveways, snow should not be shoveled or blown into the streets. 

TIPS FOR DEALING WITH A WINTER SNOWSTORM

1) If possible, remove your vehicle from the street whenever plowable snows are forecast. Vehicles parked along the curbs make it difficult for plow operators to clear the roads.  
Ordinance 7-10

2) If possible, please avoid driving or parking on the roads during or immediately after a heavy snowstorm. The less traffic our plow operators encounter, the more efficiently they can get the roads cleared.

3) Do not shovel or blow snow into public streets. This not only defeats the purpose of our snow plowing but creates unsafe conditions for all drivers. All shoveled or blown snow should be piled in your yard or in the area between the curb and sidewalk. There is an ordinance prohibiting this action, and you may be issued a summons / fine for violation. Ordinance 225-19

4) We will not clear driveway openings. During the course of plowing snow off of the roads, driveways may get plowed in (snow deposited in front of the driveway opening by plow trucks). This is unavoidable. To minimize this inconvenience, residents are encouraged to clear the area of the roadway (adjacent to the curb) to the left of their driveway (when looking at the street from their property). Most of the snow, being carried by the plow, will drop off in that area before reaching the driveway. Unfortunately, it is often necessary to plow some roads more than once (especially those roads that were plowed early in the event); consequently, you may have to open up your driveway more than once.

5) Portable Basketball Hoops, Hockey Nets, etc. Objects such as these or any other item placed in the street should be removed to avoid being damaged by our snow plows.

-DPW-

© 2024 • Robbinsville Township, NJ • 2298 Route 33, Robbinsville, NJ 08691 • (609) 259-3600
Regular Hours of Operation: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Monday - Friday)
Construction Department: 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Monday - Friday)
www.robbinsville.net

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