“When winter weather threatens our city, keeping people safe on our roads is our top priority,” Abramson said. “It’s important that we keep our city moving – students need to be in school and workers need to be on the job. These new tools will help ensure we fight snow quickly and effectively.”

The Louisville Metro snow team – which includes Louisville Metro Public Works, Solid Waste Management Services, Metro Parks and the Metropolitan Sewer District - has 257 employees and 135 pieces of equipment to clear 1,047 miles of road in Louisville.

The snow team has added new snow fighting and pothole prevention tools; they will continue successful practices like the overnight shift and the interactive snow route maps.

• For the first time, the Snow Team will start use an anti-icing additive that will make brine even more effective at lower temperatures. IceProof is a solution of magnesium chloride and distilled liquor byproduct that will allow crews to apply brine to roads even when the temperature drops to single digits. In the past, brine was used as a preventive agent only when the road temperature was above freezing. This additive will expand the opportunity to protect roads before a snow event.
  
• This season, the Public Works Department will begin sealing pavement cracks throughout the winter to prevent potholes from forming later. The department purchased two new sealant distributors just for this purpose. Sealing cracks in roads during the winter will prevent ice from forming and further widening the cracks, which creates potholes. 
  
• The Public Works Department will continue its night shift for snow operations and pothole repairs. This is the second year for an overnight shift, which allows workers to begin treating roads as soon as snow is forecast. On evenings without snow and ice, crews will repair potholes – that means fewer repairs during heavy drive times. Last year, the city saved $72,000 in overtime costs thanks to the night shift.
  


Metro Government places a high priority on making sure our roadways are as safe and well maintained as possible. This is done with the help of our citizens who notify the city when they discover a pothole on a city street.

To report a pothole, contact MetroCALL at 502.574.5000 or 311 and give a detailed description and approximate location/address.  MetroCall is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Or use our online reporting tool: METROCALL ONLINE