For Immediate
Release:
January 28, 2022
County
prepares for blizzard
Public Works ready to respond
FREEHOLD, NJ – The Monmouth
County Department of Public Works and Engineering will be performing snow and
ice control operations in anticipation of the blizzard that is forecasted to affect
Monmouth County starting today.
“Safety is our number
one priority when it comes to severe weather. The County is closely monitoring
the storm’s progress and County crews will be performing snow and ice control operations
prior to, during and after the storm,” said Director Thomas A. Arnone, liaison
to the Monmouth County Department of Public Works and Engineering. “We recommend
County residents stay home if possible but if you need to be out on the roads, be
cautious while driving and keep a safe distance from snow and ice control equipment.”
According to the National Weather
Service, blizzard conditions
are expected near the coast with strong wind gusts, reduced visibility and snowfall
of 8 to 15 inches. Northerly wind 30 to 40 mph with gusts around 50 mph.
A Coastal Flood Advisory is in effect from
3:00 a.m. until 9:00 a.m. Saturday.
“Our Public Works crews
have applied salt brine and magnesium chloride-treated rock salt in advance of the
storm, which we have done since 2007,” said Director Arnone. “Through our unique
Shared Services program, the County will assist municipalities, Belford Ferry
Terminal, Naval Weapons Station Earle, 35 building complexes with snow and ice
removal, in addition to the 1,000 miles of road throughout the County, to keep residents
and travelers as safe as possible.”
Applying the salt
brine, which is 28 percent salinity, and magnesium chloride-treated rock salt prior
to snowfall prevents the snow and ice from bonding to the roads, and the treated
rock salt is environmentally friendly. It does not burn the grass or other
roadside vegetation, nor does it corrode the trucks, or the steel bridge spans.
The County has 250
trucks and equipment available, along with 135,000 gallons of brine and 40,000
tons of treated salt available. When the County applies brine, it is eight
gallons per lane mile.
For news and alerts
from Monmouth County, visit www.visitmonmouth.com
or follow @MonmouthGovNJ on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
# # #