By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com

Michigan Department of Transportation officials talk strategy on keeping roads safe and clear during the pandemic as Livingston County drivers and other across the state begin to more frequently face wintery road conditions.

MDOT Bureau of Field Services Director Greg Brunner was recently on the department’s podcast, Talking Michigan Transportation, discussing how the coronavirus could impact snow removal and ice mitigation efforts on the 9,700 lane miles of roadways MDOT and their partners are responsible for.

Brunner said they have come up with a contingency plan with 3 areas of focus to help maintain certain levels of service to help keep Michigan mobile and the economy moving. He said number 1 was “prevention,” in keeping workers safe from contracting the disease. Number 2 is to keep open communication with all of their partners, knowing things can change quickly from being “okay” to not. The third prong is prioritization of work in the event they have to move to a reduced level of services because of garages having to close due to the pandemic.

Wednesday morning was a rough one with icy roads for many drivers locally, and Brunner addressed frustrations people feel when the roads don’t seem salted enough to their preference. He said that while salt will always melt ice, the colder it gets the less effective and quickly it does so. Sometimes they add a liquid mix of calcium chloride to the salt that helps, but also adds to the price. MDOT is also experimenting with a new innovation in Montcalm County, in mid-Michigan. There, as opposed to rock salt, they have begun testing a liquid chloride brine on the roads that is supposed to activate more quickly. Brunner said it might not work if it’s too cold, but it has been proven to work in other states and is worth testing out. The chloride brine also brings the benefit of being better for the environment than salt.

Brunner said safety is the department’s top priority, for both their workers and Michiganders. He reminded motorists to follow Michigan’s basic speed law which requires those behind the wheel to drive carefully and at a prudent speed in all conditions, no matter what the posted speed limit states.