Depending on if your bones ache, the prediction of the Farmer’s Almanac or simple pessimism or optimism, how winter shakes out in 2015 right now is left to those factors and long-term forecasts by meteorologists. Bridgeport City Engineer Tom Brown, however, isn’t taking a chance with any type of forecasting.
Instead, Brown is trying to make sure the City of Bridgeport is prepared for the worst possible scenario. And that means a scenario worse than last year’s winter season.
“Last year we were literally one major storm and a couple of smaller storms from being completely without salt to treat the roads as well as other supplies,” said Brown. “It wasn’t as if we weren’t ready to acquire or have the means to acquire the material, there simply was no material to acquire.”
According to Brown, by the time late February and March rolled around the main salt supplier the city has a contract with – Morton – was definitely out of being able to supply any new salt. Even worse, Morton nearly had a situation last year where they almost couldn’t fulfill the contractual requirements, which would have left the city high and dry.
“We tried other suppliers late last year and they told us they were out and there were others that were telling us they couldn’t help anyone because they couldn’t fulfill their current contractual obligations,” said Brown.
Eventually, the city hopes to make sure that salt problems are never an issue – unless something closer to Biblical proportions take place. The city is working with the North Central West Virginia Airport to lease or buy land across from the main entrance to the Bridgeport Recreation Complex. Part of the land will be utilized to have a full year of salt supplies in reserve.
Until that happens, Brown is trying to make sure that the city has plenty on hand for winter 2015. And the first step has already been taken.
“We’re doing good. We have a good stockpile of salt right now. We built an additional salt bin up here that had been a storage area that allowed us to store salt additional salt (at the public works facility behind the Bridgeport Municipal Complex),” said Brown. “Still, we’re concerned about our suppliers and will they be able to deliver. What you see outside isn’t all the salt we have purchased for the year. The supplier will deliver more, but if they run out then there’s few options. We are starting the winter with double the supply we normally have, which should handle any immediate surge from a major storm.”
Last year, Brown did find one option to handle Bridgeport had a late March storm hit Bridgeport. He said he made an arrangement with the largest purchaser of road salt in the area.
“I worked out an arrangement with the DOH that we could have gotten some salt from them and replaced it if Morton didn’t finish their obligations or if we ran out,” said Brown. “Even with the extra salt, it’s going to be a struggle if it’s another bad year. We’ll do what we can and we’ve prepared the best we can. Ideally, the best thing for everyone would be a mild winter, but I have no idea how to predict that.”
Editor's Note: Top photo shows the expanded salt bin behind the Bridgeport Public Works Department, while Tom Brown is shown inspecting one of the city's trucks during last year's horrid winter.
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