Ohio Turnpike plows are ready to roll after inspections

AMHERST TWP. — Joe Verespe is looking forward to snow. "It makes my job more interesting," he said Wednesday, watching a fleet of snowplows being prepared for freezing weather at the Ohio Turnpike's maintenance garage on Oberlin Road. Verespe, of Amherst, has driven a plow for seven years. In the depths of winter, he spends about 40 hours a week behind the wheel, clearing the lanes along a 36-mile path from Erie County to Cuyahoga County. His truck was one of 14 getting a 136-point inspection from Chief Mechanic Matt Timms — engines, plow blades, tires, lights, salt sprayers and de-icing systems. The yellow and white Peterbilts, Western Stars and Freightliners boast 350-horsepower, 8.3-liter diesel engines and can haul up to 7 tons of salt. Each plow is able to put down 600 pounds of salt per lane mile at a time. Timms said he's never seen a storm vicious enough to stop one of the turnpike's trucks. "I don't think you could slow it down. When the trucks are loaded, they go really good. There's a lot of weight pushing them, so you get a lot of traction," he said. If the weather turns really nasty, drivers will team up and drive three abreast down the turnpike to clear the way. Each is equipped with a 12-foot front plow blade. Most of the newer trucks also have 7-foot wing plows to move as much snow and ice as possible, said Matthew McMullen, superintendent for the Ohio Turnpike's eastern division. The 2021 models, which are the newest in the fleet, are using upgraded tech this year, he said. Spreaders on the rear of each truck apply liquids differently to the salt, creating a slurry that prevents scatter and covers the roadway more evenly. The Amherst maintenance garage is one of eight such facilities across the 241-mile toll road. It's home base for 22 drivers, two mechanics and support staff. This year, more than 100 plows will be used across 1,395 lane miles crossing 13 counties in northern Ohio. The stretch covered by the Amherst crew is the largest, has the most service plazas and is also home to the most toll plaza interchanges. McMullen said his territory along the turnpike has plenty of drivers for the snowy season, but is always looking for more. In the last couple of years, finding Class A CDL operators has grown more difficult. The turnpike offers an apprenticeship program that welcomes candidates with little to no experience, preferable with a background in mechanics or construction. It can train new drivers in as little as a year. But only long years of experience can hone an eye for forecasting the weather, said Amherst Section Foreman Greg Brown. After decades on the job, he's gotten a feel for when snow is on the way. Despite cold, hard rains Tuesday and Wednesday, he was confident that snow was not in the mix. Air temperatures threatened to bottom out around 34 degrees Wednesday night, but the ambient temperature of the pavement was nowhere near freezing, Brown said. Turnpike employees said it's next to impossible to predict what kind of winter is on the way. Brown's best guess is that this one will be colder and snowier, but said he still relies on meteorologists' forecasts just like everyone else. "We take it day by day, hour by hour here. In all the years I've been here, I've never guessed a winter correctly yet," McMullen said. Last winter, Ohio Turnpike drivers handled 55 winter storms and along with maintenance crews racked up more than 32,000 hours to keep the highway clear of snow and ice. To do so, they used more than 309,000 gallons of de-icing liquid and 56,000 tons of salt. When the weather demands it, those crews will work 12-hour shifts, seven days a week. Verespe was eager for the first snowfall of the year, and said he loves keeping the turnpike safe for travelers. He also said storms can be a stressful time for plow drivers, and he advises drivers to keep a good distance from his truck for safety and peace of mind. "Stay back. Give us our space," he said. Jason Hawk can be reached at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.