MURRYSVILLE, Pa. — Westmoreland County PennDOT said during the region’s winter freeze-thaw cycle, it is important to clear grates alongside major highways to avoid an infamous Pittsburgh nuisance later.
“We can’t afford the luxury of going out and using straight salt all the time,” said David Forkey, Westmoreland County Maintenance Manager. “We don’t have the trucks or manpower to make that happen because it’s very costly.”
Westmoreland County Maintenance Manager, David Forkey, says plowing snow is important, but the way it’s plowed off the roadways matters too. The grates line major arteries for the county, like U.S. 22.
Plows work during winter storms to clear snow past the grates to avoid clogging the drain.
“From the jersey barriers the whole way to the shoulder on our mainlines were pretty much clear and free of any type of snow on the roadway,” Forkey
This is important, especially during the season’s thaw cycle. Any snow that melts in the roadway and falls through the cracks could freeze underneath the roadway when the temperatures drop. This creates potholes, something folks in the area say they know all too well.
“We have lost two tires in the last 6 months,” said Pittsburgh driver Bailey Willetts. “We actually messed up our wheel, and this is a rental car that we have right now that we are returning.”
PennDOT treats 2700 miles of roadway in the county, so the more they focus on clearing the grates now, the less fixing is required in the spring. Drains are typically scheduled to be cleared in the spring and summer months because winter residue builds up over time.
“We go around each spring cleaning up where we need to clean out all of our drains with all the antiskid that falls in there,” said Forkey.
It also helps to clear drains on backroads.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
©2025 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XCUXZC2XYZHCRGNNGKFEX6U3LQ.png)
