Tonight, @MrsRobbieD tweeted me this pic of Interstate 55 in Mississippi County. Notice, the traffic is at a standstill and the interstate is completely covered:
I decided to look at the traffic data on Google Maps to see how bad the traffic was and how far it extended. A couple of things surprised me. First, we have standstill traffic along Interstate 55 and Interstate 40. Second, I am surprised to see that traffic flow increases immediately when cars enter Tennessee and Missouri. So, what is happening here?
Let me be 100% clear with this blog post. I do NOT question the hard work of our state highway department workers. I do not work with them and I can not assume that this map or picture is a reflection of their work. I know some of them and I know they bust their tails when the weather gets bad! However, I think we need to ask our state government if we are giving these workers the resources they need to get the job accomplished. Here is what I want to know:
- What does our budget in AR look like compared to other states? This will be a tough comparison because states are different sizes and some have more miles of road than others. With that said, there has to be a way to compare our budget to others.
- Are we utilizing the latest technology and chemicals? Are we clearing roads like we did in 1970? If so, I bet there is a better way. I'm no expert, but I bet snow removal technology has advanced like everything else, especially with new chemicals.
- Do we have enough workers?
I'm not a reporter, but I work in a newsroom and I think it is time to ask these questions. This map is not a coincidence.
Finally, here are 2 pictures from NW Arkansas from KFSM viewers. This is the state line between Oklahoma and Arkansas on Highway 100:
What are your thoughts?
Ryan
20 comments:
Agreed. My bet is there is better technology we aren't utilizing. Our weather is so unpredictable. It would be great to know we could drive the next day after winter weather without spinning off into ditches or getting stuck.
I know everyone complains about Arkansas roads when the weather gets bad!! It's crazy at the difference from Missouri to Arkansas! Not sure what the problem is, but it's been that way forever...
This is the same problem that happened in Baxter County back in December. You could go to the Missouri line and the roads were completely clear. Baxter County state hwy dept doesn't have enough workers or enough equipment. There were several big articles about this in the Baxter Bulletin. There were so many people outraged at the condition of the roads that a few senators wanted to hold a town hall meeting to see what could be done.
I know that Missouri pre-treats their roads, at least in the bootheel and Memphis does the same thing. The only thing that gets done in Blytheville is the I-55 overpass on Hwy 18 and the intersection in front of the courthouse/police station. Any other road and you are on your own.
I have a son who lives in central Missouri and have had to drive through 3 bad snow/sleet storms this winter visiting. Each time the Missouri roads are clear to the Arkansas state line - then white roads appear. In Ash Flat I was shocked to see a small John Deere tractor with a blade the only snow removal vehicle on the roads. The roads were awful until I reached I40 in Arkansas!
Thank you for pointing this out!! It's not that the road conditions are just an inconvenience...it's not just a financial burden to thousands of parents, business owners, and employees...it is the fact that it's putting a HUGE amount of citizens' health at risk! Whether they risk life and limb trying to get out, or whether acces to emergency personnel is limited by road conditions...it is a serious problem!
I grew up in Tennessee and have lived there up until we moved here three years ago. Any time there was even a chance of winter weather they would TDOT would be out useing preventive measures. Even the small town I grew up in was always ready for bad weather. It's been hard to understand why it takes a week to clear roads around here!
There are many reasons why there is a huge difference in road conditions between Arkansas and other states.
1) Not enough workers. This could be that each individual county can only afford so many or you must question where the money is going in your county.
2) Budget. Given that there has been an extraordinary amount of winter precipitation this winter, one may be inclined to excuse the county/state for running out of funds. However, we tend to see this road condition discrepancy whether there is one or a dozen winter events. Again, is there really no money available or are funds being misappropriated. Where are federal monies and your city/county taxes going? Sometimes answering that question means ruffling some feathers and not maintaining the status quo.
3) Technology and methodology. There probably isn't nearly enough equipment. This is part of the budget issue, of course.
What should happen:
-Pretreat roads if the budget allows
-Treat the roads with salt. Sand is a waste to time and resources, in my humble opinion.
-Plow the roads before they have a chance to ice over and/or during the daytime when there is a chance of daytime heating to aid in melting the snow/sleet on the roadways. With the sleet event we just had, the roads will have to probably be plowed more than once.
4) Perhaps Arkansas officials need to ask the help/advice of other officials in different states that seem to have their act together when it comes to clearing the roads. Besides the use of road salt in general, I admittedly have no clue what technology/chemicals are being utilized nowadays.
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I want to say that I agree that the state/county/city workers are not the problem. They can only do so much with limited staff, resources, and equipment.
Lastly, this is not an issue of inconvenience. This is school children not missing days of school after one winter weather event. This is businesses able to stay open and employees able to earn money to support themselves and their families. This is emergency vehicles being able to safely help those who need them.
Maybe the road money was used to build a bike path (Just saying) MAYBE
You're an idiot (bike path). Enjoy your diabetes.
hHateful comments will undermine any point you are trying to make.
I agree I live off of the highway in Mammoth and can't ever get anywhere. However, when this sort of weather is expected you can cross the Missouri line into Thayer and their roads are treated before it happens and you can see where they are sprayed ahead of time.
snow use worrying about it
Missouri pre-treats their roads. You can always tell when you're at the state line when roads are icy or snow covered. The road goes from covered to clean. It has always been like that. I'm sure it's like everything else their budget doesn't allow for these materials, but they are causing havoc everywhere. You can only do so much with what you have!! I am so proud our roads are taken care of by MODOT!!!
First I drove back from Memphis yesterday and 55 south was backed up bc of a jack knifed semi blocking both lanes AND roads completely covered and so rough almost impossible to drive. Second our main hwys will not be cleared when ADT is plowing access roads in Jonesboro instead of Bono Hill or Hwy 63 North of Jonesboro. Our state employees work long hard hours, its the decision makers that need to get with the program.
There is a woman stranded needing water to add to formula for her baby. Can anyone find out the location of this woman. My husband or I will help this lady and anyone else.
In some ways the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. It does appear that MO and TN have a better handle on it but if I lived there instead of here I may not see it that way. On the other hand it does look like resources are lacking - whether it be technology, methodology, equipment, chemicals, or the money to buy what's needed - and that leads to a lack of preparedness and resolution to icy/snowy/bad roads. I mean, people have said for years that AR has worse road conditions than other states - and I'm talking about just plain road conditions, not meaning from ice or snow. If this is the case, obviously money isn't going into the highway systems like it should? It's been said by several that it isn't the workers' fault and I think that's probably true, though maybe those who supervise could handle it a little better - doesn't matter if it's quitting time, if it starts snowing at 4:45pm you don't send the guys home. You put them in trucks and on plows and head out. Law Enforcement shouldn't have to have the dispatchers call the AHTD to say "you need to get out". By that time, and by the time they get there, the roads are already covered. So, in that regard, it may be the workers in some cases. Maybe the top brass at AHTD needs to issue an order of keeping priorities on the roads, not the clock? I think, to summarize, it is a combination of these things. Maybe you (Ryan) bringing this up will shed some light on it and get the Governor's and state legislature's attention...
Sunday at noon we returned from AR to MO. You could see at the Missouri state line where the de-icing chemical started.Didn't appear anything had been applied to highway I55 in AR
I heard a trucker one time say concerning Arkansas Roads in the winter...He said " Arkansas has one salt..and two bags of salt..and both are used around the governors mansion"....may be right...
Yes, Ryan please contact the Governors
Office. I would love to hear the answer he
gives you. Ask him why the AHTD can only
get used equipment from federal surplus,
and why we can only have 4 snow plows for
each county we work in. Ask him why we can't
use the latest technology or the newest
chemicals. Ask him why they spent millions
on a new time keeping systems instead of
giving us more employees or better equipment
or even a cost of living adjustment. Please
ask him. Then report back to us.
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