The policy of the Siskiyou County Road
Department is to remove snow from the County roads
safely and quickly, considering the availability of labor, equipment,
and funding. Only minimal sanding is done where warranted by traffic
volumes and speeds or where dictated by roadway alignment and grades.
Normally, sanding is done only on the more important roads at
intersections, steep grades, bridge decks, sharp curves or other areas
known to have accident problems associated with icy conditions. Funding
limitations do not allow roads to be kept free of snow and ice at all
times.
Winter maintenance is done on routes in order of importance, starting
with major collectors, followed by minor collectors and local roads.
School bus routes are also given high priority while recreation-only
routes are given lower priority. Uninhabited roads are not plowed or
sanded. Plowing begins when three inches of snow accumulates on the
roadway. If accumulation is not reached until afternoon or night, then
plowing does not begin until early the following morning. An exception
might be limited plowing in critical areas.
No de-icing chemicals are used. The exception is a test project which
will use a de-icing agent on several bridge decks in Shasta Valley.
Winter work hours are 7:00 am to 3:30 pm, Monday through Friday (single
shift only). Road Maintenance Supervisors may authorize emergency work
(snow removal and certain ice control) on overtime up to 12 hours per
day, 7 days per week. This work is limited to between 5:00 am and 10:00
pm daily for the work crews (supervisors may begin checking roads as
early as 4:00 am). An exception might be if called out by law
enforcement to assist in a specific emergency operation. Unless
authorized by the Director, snow and ice are not removed from
recreational roads outside the normal workday.
Snow usually is plowed forming a berm to the right side of the roadway,
attempting to move equal amounts in each direction. Berms are not
removed from private road encroachments, mailboxes or driveways.
Operators will attempt to avoid unusually high amounts of snow in berms
at driveways around enlarged areas such as cul-de-sacs and intersections
whenever possible. If time allows during normal work hours, crews may
remove berms from driveways to certain public facilities or emergency
services. Any work done outside the road right-of-way must receive prior
approval by the Director and billed.
County Ordinance No. 770 prohibits parking in the roadway during
snow removal operations. In order to enforce this ordinance, the area
must be properly signed. Operators will attempt to warn offending
motorists prior to contacting CHP for citation and towing.