Winter storms cost county $1.25M
Salt, overtime, fuel expenses add up
BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. » Battling Old Man Winter isn’t cheap.
Sixty weather events, from freezing rain to deep snowfalls, cost Saratoga County $1.25 million this year, Public Works Commissioner Keith R. Manz said.
About $1 million of this total was for road salt followed by storm-related overtime pay ($200,000) and fuel costs ($50,000).
“A heavy snow, when all the trucks go out, takes 1,000 tons of salt, which costs $60,000,” Manz said.
There were several of these this winter, plus dozens of smaller events that forced road crews into action. Trucks travel the same distance no matter how much precipitation falls in its many forms.
Also, this winter’s roller coaster-like freeze-thaw cycles created hazardous situations as snow melted during the day and froze at night, making salt necessary to eliminate icy spots.
On Wednesday, the county Law & Finance Committee approved a $240,000 transfer from the equipment fund to the highway fund to cover the cost of additional salt purchases. The move is needed because money in this year’s budget pays for the salt needed next November and December when another winter season begins.
The Public Works Department has a busy summer lined up as
well, with 10 highway projects totaling 20 miles on tap, plus eight bridge and culvert replacements. Such work will cost $7.4 million -- $4.8 million for highways and $2.6 million for bridges and culverts.
Manz said recent cold weather has made it difficult to get such work under way.
“We don’t just do the road surface,” he said. “We also clear tree canopy and take care of signs. But at least frost is out of the ground. We just started doing ditch work.”
Following are the jobs planned for this year.
County Roads
• Hadley-Stoney Creek Road (County Route 1): 3.14 miles in Hadley from County Route 4 to Hadley Hill Road (a carryover project from last year).
• South Shore Road (County Route 7): 2.4 miles in Edinburg and Day from Gordons Creek to Turner Road (a carryover project from last year).
• South Shore Road (County Route 7): 2.3 miles in Hadley from York Road to Antone Mountain Road.
• Corinth West Mountain Road (County Route 10): 2.8 miles in Corinth from West Mountain Road to Stewart’s Dam Road.
• Barkersville-Faville Road (County Route 13): 1.7 miles in Providence from Hans Creek to South Shore Road.
• North Creek Road (County Route 19): 3.1 miles in Greenfield from Wilsey Road to Porter Corners Road.
• Malta Avenue (County Route 63): 2.85 miles in Milton and Malta from the Village of Ballston Spa to Route 9.
• East Line Road (County Route 82): 3.4 miles in Ballston and Malta from the Clifton Park town line to Route 67.
• Upper Newtown Road (County Route 86): 2.8 miles in Halfmoon from Route 32 to Route 146.
• Battle Monument Hill Road (County Route 338): 1.35 miles in Saratoga from the village line to Route 29.
Bridges/culverts
Four projects are locally funded. They are:
• County Route 4 in Hadley, North Shore Road over Man Shanty Brook.
• County Route 57 in Ballston, Goode Street over Mourning Kill.
• County Route 23 in Saratoga Springs, Brook Road over Slade Creek.
• Town road, Sand Lake Road in Edinburg over Sand Creek.
Four projects are federally funded. They are:
• County Route 16 in Galway, Barkersville Road over Glowegee Creek.
• County Route 21 in Greenfield, Middle Grove Road over Kayaderosseras Creek.
• County Route 90 in Clifton Park: Vischers Ferry Road over Dwass Kill.
• County Route 109 in Clifton Park: Kinns Road/ Farm to Market Road over Dwass Kill.