Commissioners Say Crews Handled Winter Storm

Winter storms have been almost nonstop this winter and both Crawford County road district commissioners said their respective crews were able to handle a weekend event that started Friday, February 15.

District 2 Commissioner Jared Boast said that his side took some criticism over not salting gravel roads.

“We took a browbeating on a couple issues,” Boast said. The commissioner pointed out that salt can make those roads worse.

Boast explained that salt will draw the moisture out of the road and make it muddy.

“If you take a road that’s not frozen, it’s even worse,” he said. “If you have a road that’s frozen, it will take the bottom out. It thaws all the frost all the way. It won’t freeze back and you have more problems. When you go to plow, it knocks all the gravel off.”

Boast also said that some people complained that their roads weren’t maintained quicker.

“I’m not afraid to say it — someone has to be first and someone has to be last,” he said, adding that workers tend to ‘hot spots’ — roads with higher priority — first.

District 1 Commissioner Rob Cummings said his crew was able to handle the storm as well, but did not hear any complaints about salting gravel roads.