Secondary Road Winter Maintenance Plan – Executive Summary

 PIKE COUNTY, KENTUCKY

Secondary Road Winter Maintenance Plan – Executive Summary

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Purpose

This plan outlines Pike County’s strategy for maintaining safe, passable secondary roads during winter weather. It prioritizes emergency access, school transportation, and efficient use of county resources.

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1. Road Prioritization

Tier 1 – Critical Secondary Roads

- Connect communities to US‑23, US‑119, KY‑80, hospitals, and emergency services  

- Include steep grades, bridges, and known freeze zones  

- First to be pre‑treated and plowed

Tier 2 – Residential Secondary Roads

- Serve clusters of homes and moderate‑traffic areas  

- Treated after Tier 1

Tier 3 – Low‑Volume Rural Roads

- Dead‑end hollows and low‑traffic areas  

- Serviced as resources allow

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2. Treatment Strategy

Pre‑Treatment (24–48 Hours Before Storms)

- Apply 23% salt brine at 30–40 gallons per lane‑mile  

- Focus on steep grades, bridges, shaded hollows, and school bus routes  

- Brine reduces salt use by 50–75% and prevents ice bonding

Active Storm Response

- Begin plowing at 1–2 inches of accumulation  

- Apply rock salt only after snow begins (150–250 lbs per lane‑mile)  

- Use sand/gravel mix for traction on steep or very cold areas

Post‑Storm

- Widen lanes, clear drainage paths, and treat refreeze zones

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3. Materials & Equipment

Materials

- Rock Salt: 800–1,200 tons annually  

- Salt Brine: Maintain 5,000–10,000 gallons  

- Sand/Gravel Mix: 300–500 tons  

- Calcium/Magnesium Chloride: Small reserve for extreme cold

Equipment

- 2–3 brine sprayers  

- 6–10 plow trucks  

- 2–3 graders for remote hollows  

- Brine production unit + storage tanks  

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4. Staffing & Operations

- Two 12‑hour shifts during storms  

- District‑level crews with on‑call supervisors  

- Training in brine calibration, plow safety, debris clearing, and emergency coordination  

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5. Communication & Coordination

- Public updates via county website, Facebook, and local radio  

- Coordination with KYTC, school districts, fire/EMS, and 911  

- Encourage residents to move vehicles off narrow roads during storms  

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6. Budget & Efficiency

- Brine reduces salt usage and equipment wear  

- Faster clearing reduces overtime  

- Estimated annual costs:  

  - Salt: $60k–$120k  

  - Brine production: $5k–$10k  

  - Equipment maintenance: $40k–$70k

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7. Performance Tracking

- Lane‑miles treated  

- Salt usage per storm  

- Response

 times for Tier 1 roads  

- Accident data and resident feedback  

- Equipment downtime  

Most transportation and winter‑maintenance studies find that switching from “salt only” to a brine + reduced salt program cuts salt usage by about 40–60%, sometimes more, because brine sticks to the pavement and prevents bonding, so you don’t have to keep dumping rock salt after the fact.   

If Pike County is currently spending, say, $100,000/year on salt, a realistic expectation is:

- Direct material savings:  

  - New salt cost: $40,000–$60,000/year  

  - Savings: $40,000–$60,000/year just in salt

- Indirect savings (harder to show but very real):  

  - Fewer truck loads and trips (fuel + labor)   

  - Less corrosion on trucks, bridges, and guardrails  

  - Shorter storm response time (less overtime)

A conservative talking point you can use with Fiscal Court:

> “By moving from a salt‑only approach to a brine‑first, reduced‑salt program, Pike County can reasonably expect to cut salt use and direct material costs by about half, with additional savings in fuel, overtime, and equipment wear over the next 5–10 years.”

By Ray Ratliff 

TFEK