Dave Dalager woke to the sound of rain drumming on his roof during the early
morning hours of Oct. 24. Given the weather reports promising cold arctic air,
he knew his crew of 85 Mn/DOT snow and ice fighters was soon going to get its
first test of the season. In spades.
Twelve inches of wet, heavy snow eventually fell in the Red River Valley area
from Fargo to Canada, according to Dalager, District 2 field maintenance superintendent.
Because I-29 in North Dakota (just west of the Minnesota border) was completely
blocked, the diverted traffic further intensified the problem on the Minnesota
highways.
"There was so much water in the snow that trucks were stuck in the middle
of the road," Dalager said. "It was a struggle to get snow off the
road, much less get to bare pavement."
He said stalled cars and trucks were everywhere, further hampering the efforts
of MnDOT's crews to clear the roadways. Maintenance crews from the east side
of the district were called upon to help out, plowing and sanding for the next
several days to open up traffic lanes, Dalager said.
"I commend our maintenance forces for their dedication and tireless efforts
in fighting this storm, the likes of which I have seen only a few times in my
26-year career," he said.
Winter reared its icy head in District 4 as well. According to Pat Vogt, District
4 public affairs coordinator, trucks were dispatched early in the morning on
Oct. 24. With heavy snow and northwest winds gusting over 40 mph, snowplow operators
from the Moorhead and Detroit Lakes sub areas moved into round-the-clock snow
and ice operations.
Joe Stegmaier, sub area supervisor, reported treacherous driving conditions
caused numerous vehicles to slide off the road in the Moorhead area, including
two jackknifed semis on Hwy 10 and I-94.
"It was the strongest early-season storm I've seen in a long time," Stegmaier
said, "but we were ready to clear the highways of snow and ice. By Friday
afternoon, our highways were in good driving condition."
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