TxDOT's Failure to Keep Steep Inclines Passable During Winter Storms

[Brian556]

Many years ago, TxDOT failed to keep Ranger Hill on I-20 passable, resulting in a huge backup with drivers stranded for hours. Fast forward to 2023, and TxDOT is still failing to keep hills passable. I-30 eastbound was blocked at the hill at the east end of the Lake Ray Hubbard Bridge because trucks could not climb the hill and were blocking traffic. Also, multiple passenger cars were stuck on the hills on the I-35E frontage roads at Post Oak Dr in Corinth.

Looks like TxDOT needs to prioritize treating and plowing hills in order to keep roads passable. They weren't doing any plowing at the time of these issues.

So, do other states do any better? Do they prioritize keeping hills passable?

[74/171FAN]

I think the January 2016 snowstorm basically told PA and the rest of the northeast, "Trucks should be off the roads entirely", in response to the truck that basically stopped PA Turnpike traffic for days.

[Bitmapped]

Many years ago, TxDOT failed to keep Ranger Hill on I-20 passable, resulting in a huge backup with drivers stranded for hours. Fast forward to 2023, and TxDOT is still failing to keep hills passable. I-30 eastbound was blocked at the hill at the east end of the Lake Ray Hubbard Bridge because trucks could not climb the hill and were blocking traffic. Also, multiple passenger cars were stuck on the hills on the I-35E frontage roads at Post Oak Dr in Corinth.

Looks like TxDOT needs to prioritize treating and plowing hills in order to keep roads passable. They weren't doing any plowing at the time of these issues.

So, do other states do any better? Do they prioritize keeping hills passable?

For like a 130-foot difference in elevation averaging a 2.7% grade over a mile? LOL, no. A minor grade like that would not be prioritized and treated any different than adjacent sections of roadway in the north.

[J N Winkler]

To me it sounds like there is much less TxDOT can do than its peer agencies to the north, simply because it is dealing with freezing rain and ice rather than snow.  No-one deals well with ice.

[hbelkins]

Many years ago, TxDOT failed to keep Ranger Hill on I-20 passable, resulting in a huge backup with drivers stranded for hours. Fast forward to 2023, and TxDOT is still failing to keep hills passable. I-30 eastbound was blocked at the hill at the east end of the Lake Ray Hubbard Bridge because trucks could not climb the hill and were blocking traffic. Also, multiple passenger cars were stuck on the hills on the I-35E frontage roads at Post Oak Dr in Corinth.

Looks like TxDOT needs to prioritize treating and plowing hills in order to keep roads passable. They weren't doing any plowing at the time of these issues.

So, do other states do any better? Do they prioritize keeping hills passable?

For like a 130-foot difference in elevation averaging a 2.7% grade over a mile? LOL, no. A minor grade like that would not be prioritized and treated any different than adjacent sections of roadway in the north.

To me it sounds like there is much less TxDOT can do than its peer agencies to the north, simply because it is dealing with freezing rain and ice rather than snow.  No-one deals well with ice.

The impression I get is that outside of the northern panhandle, most of Texas doesn't get enough winter weather to have crews ready to deal with the elements.

My wife was in the DFW area in early February 2011, when they had some ice and snow. It was right before the Super Bowl, and the state highway crews were not ready to deal with the problems. Roads were shut down all over the area and she had to end up spending an extra night in the area. They had to bring crews and equipment from the panhandle down to the DFW area to clear the roads.

In my area of Kentucky, there's a steep mountain with a sharp curve near the top on the Mountain Parkway, locally known as Slade Hill. It becomes a priority in bad weather.

[Dirt Roads]

In West Virginia, the DOH stages much of their equipment at all of the "hilltops" a few hours before a snow or ice event is predicted to hit.  The intention is that the truck will wait for snow to start accumulating and then start spreading roadsalt (or sand or cinders) downhill, then U-turn and come back up the other lanes.  We saw this protocol was still in play on the West Virginia Turnpike during a late, late night run up Flat Top Mountain during a minor snow event a few weeks ago.

If the grade is exceptionally long, the DOH will stage another spreader truck in the opposite direction.  Otherwise, the only spreader has to get back up to the "hilltop" and go down and back up the other side.  Because much of the state is located on the Appalachian Plateau, there are a few places where there is a steep grade on one side and a flat section on the other.  That doesn't happen too often, since none of them "hollers" ever run straight.  But the upgrade on I-79 from the Little Kanawha River valley in Burnsville to the "hilltop" above Orlando is one example. 

[Bitmapped]

In West Virginia, the DOH stages much of their equipment at all of the "hilltops" a few hours before a snow or ice event is predicted to hit.  The intention is that the truck will wait for snow to start accumulating and then start spreading roadsalt (or sand or cinders) downhill, then U-turn and come back up the other lanes.  We saw this protocol was still in play on the West Virginia Turnpike during a late, late night run up Flat Top Mountain during a minor snow event a few weeks ago.

If the grade is exceptionally long, the DOH will stage another spreader truck in the opposite direction.  Otherwise, the only spreader has to get back up to the "hilltop" and go down and back up the other side.  Because much of the state is located on the Appalachian Plateau, there are a few places where there is a steep grade on one side and a flat section on the other.  That doesn't happen too often, since none of them "hollers" ever run straight.  But the upgrade on I-79 from the Little Kanawha River valley in Burnsville to the "hilltop" above Orlando is one example. 

That definitely does not happen in the northern half of West Virginia. Perhaps its a more limited availability of crews, but I've lived in Morgantown almost 20 years and I can't say I've ever seen WVDOH have prestaged crews on any of my drives throughout the state. I see PennDOT pre-stage crews a lot in, but they just seem to do it every couple miles rather than places in relation to grades.

[Dirt Roads]

In West Virginia, the DOH stages much of their equipment at all of the "hilltops" a few hours before a snow or ice event is predicted to hit.  The intention is that the truck will wait for snow to start accumulating and then start spreading roadsalt (or sand or cinders) downhill, then U-turn and come back up the other lanes.  We saw this protocol was still in play on the West Virginia Turnpike during a late, late night run up Flat Top Mountain during a minor snow event a few weeks ago.

If the grade is exceptionally long, the DOH will stage another spreader truck in the opposite direction.  Otherwise, the only spreader has to get back up to the "hilltop" and go down and back up the other side.  Because much of the state is located on the Appalachian Plateau, there are a few places where there is a steep grade on one side and a flat section on the other.  That doesn't happen too often, since none of them "hollers" ever run straight.  But the upgrade on I-79 from the Little Kanawha River valley in Burnsville to the "hilltop" above Orlando is one example. 

That definitely does not happen in the northern half of West Virginia. Perhaps its a more limited availability of crews, but I've lived in Morgantown almost 20 years and I can't say I've ever seen WVDOH have prestaged crews on any of my drives throughout the state. I see PennDOT pre-stage crews a lot in, but they just seem to do it every couple miles rather than places in relation to grades.

I'm not surprised.  There no "hilltops" north of that sliver of Gilmer County on I-79, and the only "hilltop" on I-68 is coming westbound off of Coopers Rock.  I'm guessing that you need at least a 300-foot change in elevation to justify having the road crew staged for Winter weather conditions.

But one of the first places that I recall seeing the staged spreaders was on (now) I-68 at Exit 1 (at various times, the DOH staged them on the westbound onramp or directly under the overpass).  But this location doesn't make a lot of sense to me, given as the relatively short westbound downgrade.  And we could have a whole different discussion about whether the staged crew needs to crossover and return upgrade before coming back and treating the flyovers. 

[Bitmapped]

I'm not surprised.  There no "hilltops" north of that sliver of Gilmer County on I-79, and the only "hilltop" on I-68 is coming westbound off of Coopers Rock.  I'm guessing that you need at least a 300-foot change in elevation to justify having the road crew staged for Winter weather conditions.

But one of the first places that I recall seeing the staged spreaders was on (now) I-68 at Exit 1 (at various times, the DOH staged them on the westbound onramp or directly under the overpass).  But this location doesn't make a lot of sense to me, given as the relatively short westbound downgrade.  And we could have a whole different discussion about whether the staged crew needs to crossover and return upgrade before coming back and treating the flyovers. 

FWIW, the grade on I-79 heading north out of Burnsville is about a 400-foot difference in elevation. I-79 heading northbound leaving the Monongahela River just past I-68 is about the same, and there is a 300-foot difference in elevation between Scotts Run north of Exit 155 and the WV Welcome Center. Part of that route is on my daily commute and I've never seen anything prestaged along there or on I-68 around Morgantown.

WVDOH does have its I-68 maintenance depot at the Coopers Rock exit, at the top of a large grade in both directions. It's also at the midpoint of the WV section of I-68, which I suspect was a bigger factor in the site's selection.