Nevada Department of Transportation Updates
February 1, 2023 | Member Submitted
NDOT snowplow operators work in extremely inclement weather and mountainous terrain to help keep roads safe and clear. During storms, crews break into two separate 12-hour shifts, rotating shifts to cover snow removal 24 hours a day. Often, snowplows literally are not turned off until all roadway snow is removed. At the end of a shift, one maintenance staff member will jump out of the plow and another will jump in to continue operating the plow.
During the first three weeks of January 2023, NDOT maintenance crews on U.S. 50 and State Route 28 in Tahoe have dedicated approximately 2,700 work hours to ice and snow removal, spreading nearly 630 cubic yards of salt and sand for enhanced winter driving traction.
Staffing Vacancies
NDOT currently has six permanent highway maintenance personnel dedicated to maintenance of State Route 28 and U.S. 50 on Tahoe’s east shore. There are 14 permanent and temporary staff positions assigned to the highway maintenance crew. With only six of the 14 positions currently filled, the crew has a nearly 60 percent vacancy rate.
While the Department’s challenge in retaining employees is beginning to impact our ability to maintain previous levels of service, NDOT remains dedicated to providing a safe and connected transportation network for millions of Nevada residents and travelers across more than 5,000 miles of state roadway. As part of our commitment to public safety, NDOT highway maintenance staff perform more than 75 critical road maintenance duties – from maintaining and updating roadway striping and incident response to snow and ice removal and pothole repairs.
Pothole Response
NDOT staff routinely fill weather-related potholes on state roads. But, crews must first prioritize critical snow response tasks such as blowing or scraping back snow from highway roadsides to reduce roadway refreeze and provide additional shoulder space for safety during traffic incidents. Crews will undertake urgent pothole repairs as soon as snow removal and other immediate highway activities such as cutting back roadside snowbanks are complete.
Driving Safety Reminder
Public safety is our top priority, and we remind drivers to slow down and drive safely in icy and snowy conditions.
One of the biggest challenges we see on winter roads is unsafe driving and crashes caused by motorists driving too quickly. Our top priority is traffic safety, and we want to remind all drivers to drive slowly and brake and turn slowly during winter weather. Following all chain controls and winter traffic advisories is critical as well.
NDOT Continues Repaving of Sections of SR 28 This Year
This spring, NDOT will also continue the third year of improvements to repave and improve State Routes 28 and 431.
As part of these improvements, State Route 28 will be resurfaced from the Nevada/California border to Ponderosa Ranch Road.