MoDOT spends $26M so far on snow, ice removal

So far this year, the department has spent more than $26 million on snow and ice removal – roughly equal to what MoDOT spends in an average winter – and almost two months of cold weather remain. Major contributors to that spending have been last November’s winter storm and the ice storm that swept the state in January.

If any snow or ice removal is needed during the remainder of the season, officials will cut back in other maintenance areas to make up the funding difference, according to department spokesman Jeff Briggs.

“The thing about snow and ice removal is it’s not optional,” Briggs said. “If we get another foot of snow tomorrow, we can’t just say, ‘We’re out of money, we’re not going to clear that snow.’ It’s obviously a huge safety issue for everybody.”

So far this winter, MoDOT has used nearly 240,000 tons of salt on state-maintained roadways, almost twice as much as last year.