COLUMBIA COUNTY, Pa. — It was a busy day at PennDOT's Columbia/Montour maintenance facility near Bloomsburg. Crews checked lights, washer fluid, and more, making sure these trucks are ready for Sunday's storm.
"The first thing we need to do is make sure all of our trucks are up and operational. We need to make sure we have operators for all of our trucks and we have material ready to apply. That would be salt and anti-skid," said Eric High, assistant district executive for PennDOT's District 3.
High says more than 200 dump trucks will cover 4,500 miles of state roadways in these areas. He says PennDOT has operators for all these vehicles.
"CDL operators are in great demand recently, anywhere across the nation, but we have been successful in getting and keeping operators for all of our trucks, so we are ready there," High said.
There are plans in place with the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We do have folks out on sick leave; that certainly happens in any winter, but we do have those positions filled, and all our trucks will be out performing winter services," High said.
PennDOT does not recommend traveling during winter storms, but if you need to drive, check PennDOT's 511PA website for road conditions first. It also has plow truck locations.
"You can check out where the plows are, where they've been, where they're going, and just keep in mind that when the snow is falling, we will have crews out treating the roadways around the clock. The department does aim to keep the roads passable rather than completely free from ice and snow," said PennDOT official Maggie Baker.
PennDOT officials tell Newswatch 16 they have enough salt and anti-skid and will be loading the trucks prior to Sunday's storm.