Ohio Department of Transportation preparing for upcoming winter season

GALLIA COUNTY, Ohio (WOWK) – The temperatures are starting to dip and that means that crews are starting their preparations for the upcoming winter season.

The Ohio Department of Transportation is making sure everything is in proper working order, which means firing up the snow plows and testing all their equipment.

Despite it just being the end of October, ODOT officials told us that they want to be prepared for when bad weather strikes.

“The winter is right around the corner, and so we want to make sure that our equipment is prepared to go out and fight snow and ice,” said Ashley Rittenhouse, ODOT Public Information Officer. “During these winter readiness events, our mechanics thoroughly inspect each piece of equipment. They actually conduct a 150-point inspection on each truck, just to make sure everything is in good working order.”

In 2024, 54 ODOT plows were struck by drivers across the state. Rittenhouse is encouraging people to slow down and move over if possible when seeing plows on the road.