
The Amazing Way Rochester Keeps The Streets Plowed
With nearly a foot of the white stuff already having fallen across southeast Minnesota, here's a glimpse at the method the city of Rochester uses when figuring out which roads to plow first.
First off, here's a shout-out to all the hard-working employees who work around the clock to keep our streets and roads in Rah-Rah-Rochester and across Minnesota clear of ice and snow during our cold-weather season. While most of us hunker down, snug in our homes during a winter storm, they put on their jackets, gloves and boots and head out to keep things moving.
But how do they decide which streets to plow first? (And, how do they always seem to come by my house and dump a load of snow at the end of my driveway right AFTER I shoveled it out 😜... just kidding!)
Well, according to the city of Rochester website, there are over 500 miles of roads, 9 miles of alleys, 544 cul-de-sacs, 40 miles of sidewalks, and bike paths within the city limits of Rochester. That's a lot to keep clear! Here's how they do it:
The site says the priority for plowing streets in Rochester is: main roads, the central business district, hills, bridges, bus routes, and around schools. Once those areas are clear resources will be directed to other streets. (That'd be our neighborhood streets).
READ MORE: Can You Legall Pass a Snow Plow in Minnesota?
More specifically, the site has even more details:
+ Small snow events (less than 2" of snow) are typically treated in less than 8 hours by a fleet of 21 plow trucks, 2-3 pick-up trucks, and two sidewalk machines.
+ Snow events of 2-4" are typically treated in approximately 8 hours by a fleet of 28 plow trucks, 4 graders, 5 loaders, 3 one-ton trucks to clear cul-de-sacs, 2-3 pick-up trucks, and 2 sidewalk machines.
+ Large snow events (more than 4") take approximately 3 days to be completely cleaned up. Roads will be cleared in the first 12 hours. Snow will be hauled out of the Central Business District overnight on day 2. Street widening and miscellaneous clean-up will happen on the 3rd day after the snowfall.
And now that how Rochester plows our streets is no longer a mystery. Keep scrolling to check out 6 vital things officials say you should know if you have to drive in a snowstorm, plus 10 items Minnesotans always stock up on when they hear the word 'storm' in the winter.
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