MoDOT preps equipment for wintery weather

New trucks, stainless steel road salt dispensers and a much bigger salt storage facility are what local workers with the Missouri Department of Transportation will use this year to keep the roadways safe for drivers during winter.

The department held an open house Friday at the Jackson maintenance facility on Highway Y for visitors to view new equipment and learn how streets are kept clear of wintery hazards.

Snow and ice doesn't stand a chance against the department's two new 10-wheeler trucks, outfitted inside with computers to dispense the salt efficiently and underneath with belly plows, said area engineer Stan Johnson. The two International 7400 trucks were obtained on a five-year lease purchase plan.

Maintenance engineer Jim Menz, a 29-year veteran of MoDOT, said the new trucks are faster, have more horsepower, push more snow and are more reliable than their older vehicles and are expected to reduce the time crews have to spend on the roads.