NJ has spent $37.9M (so far) since Nov. to treat roads for winter

With snow, sleet and freezing rain in the forecast for this week, New Jersey transportation crews are out brining the roads again today.

So far this winter season, snowfall totals have been relatively low, but that doesn’t mean the state Department of Transportation has had an easy time of it.

Since Nov. 1, the DOT has spent $37.9 million "to combat the weather," spokeswoman Mairin Bellack said.

She noted this expenditure covers snow removal materials, equipment and contractors.

Bellack said while many parts of the Garden State have not had a lot of snow so far, “this winter we’ve responded to 28 events, and last winter, from 2017 to 2018, there were 33 events in total.”

During the winter of 2018, the DOT used about 233,000 tons of road salt, more than half a million tons of liquid calcium and a little more than 2 million gallons of brine solution to treat the roads. Snow-clearing operations dragged into early April.

She pointed out no one knows how long winter will last, but the DOT has plenty of supplies to do what’s necessary to keep roadways clear.

“Hopefully the weather won’t beat us up too bad, and we’re always expecting for the worst and always being prepared.”

She noted if the state does get slammed with significant snow, “we have 500 DOT plows and spreaders, and we have approximately 2,000 contract plows and spreaders available to call out on an as-need basis."

She stressed running out of money to fight Ol' Man Winter is not a concern.

“NJ DOT starts the winter with approximately $10 million in the budget for snow removal materials and is reimbursed from the Department of Treasury for extra expenditures beyond that," she said.

“The state has never failed us to cover snow removal or expenses."

You can contact reporter David Matthau at David.Matthau@townsquaremedia.com