Street crews welcome warm-up as solution to clearing roads

Steve Cook had worked for the city of Cape Girardeau for two years when the blizzard of 1979 hit.

Twenty-five years later, the memories of that enormous snowfall came back as Cook, now director of the city's public works department, traveled down U.S. 61 last week in a snow plow as 3-foot drifts blew across the road.

"It's the second largest snow I've ever been associated with," Cook said. "It's beyond anything we've seen in awhile, and it's packed down so you can't plow it like you would loose snow."

After a week's effort, city and county road departments say some areas still have not been completely cleared of snow and ice. But as temperatures rise into the low 60s over the next three days, the remains of last week's winter storms should melt.

"Right now the temperature is helping more than anything," said Jack Rasnic, public works director in Scott City.

Cook said the city of Cape Girardeau still has 12 to 15 trucks and a 40-man crew out working. Primary streets, those that carry the most traffic and run past hospitals or schools, are 90 percent clear, Cook said. Secondary streets are 65 percent to 70 percent clear.

On Wednesday, Cape Girardeau city officials issued a press release requesting private contractors to stop pushing snow from parking lots into streets.

"They're pushing it out into traffic, and our main goal is keep traffic moving," Cook said.

Scott Bechtold, highway superintendent for Cape Girardeau County, said rural roads are now 99 percent accessible, though some are still just one lane.

"There's a lot of snow still piled up on the sides, so roads are narrow" Bechtold said. "As the temperatures warm and the snow melts, these gravel roads are going to become soft and muddy."

Bechtold said drivers should continue to go slow and use caution over the next few days.

Jackson city street superintendent Steve Hendrix said all of his streets are passable, though work is still going on in areas where snow melted and froze back as ice.

"There are some drifts in areas that will take awhile to melt," Hendrix said.

cclark@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 128