Snow Removal
The BCRC is responsible for the snow and ice control on over 590 miles of paved county roads and 480 miles of gravel roads. That’s over 2,140 lane miles. That’s the like driving from Hastings to the Mackinaw Bridge 8.5 times in one day. To be fully prepared for any weather conditions the BCRC monitors the weather forecasts and other reporting services for upcoming storms cells, warnings, and alerts.
To make winter roads safe and passable the BCRC employs a team of professional drivers to remove snow and ice from the many roads. The BCRC can use several types of equipment to remove snow from the roadway. The Tandem dump truck, equipped with an underbody blade and front plow are our most commonly used method. Small trucks are used in most of our plats or subdivisions to remove snow. Motor graders are used to help when there is heavy drifting and an excessive amount of snow. The BCRC makes every effort to open all roads after any snowstorm as soon as possible.
Sanding & Salting
Salting and Sanding begins when slippery conditions exist. Depending on conditions the BCRC uses a variety of sand/salt mixtures and also just straight salt to maintain the many miles of County roads.
On average the BCRC uses about 2,000 tons of salt and about 43,000 tons of sand per year. The BCRC is always striving to look at new techniques and products in snow and ice removal.