It’s barely November, but West Virginia Division of Highways is thinking ahead to keep drivers safe in snow and ice.
Drivers in WVDOH District 1 just finished their dry runs for winter snowplow routes.
“We want to make sure that our trucks are well-maintained, greased, and that all the equipment is working properly,” said District 1 Maintenance Engineer Kathy Rushworth, P.E. Running snowplow routes early also allows drivers to familiarize themselves with their routes and get used to driving the snowplows, which handle differently with plows on the front that they do during their summer job as dump trucks.
District 1 has 215 drivers assigned to drive plows in the snow and ice. They’re the same men and women responsible for cutting grass, trimming trees, cutting ditches and doing other maintenance work during the spring, summer, and fall. For DOH, taking care of the roadways is a year-round job.
The district has 10 plows dedicated to Boone County, 10 to cover Clay County, 39 for Kanawha County, 14 for Mason County, and 13 for Putnam County. Another 38 snowplows are responsible for clearing snow and ice on US 35 and interstates 64, 77, and 79.
Rushworth said there is room for more drivers, and there are jobs available for Transportation Workers not only in District 1, but statewide.
To apply for a job as a Transportation Worker – or any other position within WVDOH, visit https://transportation.wv.gov and click on “WVDOT Careers.” The page will explain the hiring process and provide links to available jobs.