The Oregon Department of Transportation this year has added something new to its arsenal to help battle winter's assault on Portland urban highways and freeways. Getting the jump on these kinds of weather-related incidents can make or break the morning commute. This new program element improves ODOT's ability to respond quickly to inclement weather conditions. Typically, when weather-related emergencies occur after hours, precious time is lost rounding up a team to respond to the incident. The winter response crew's ability to respond immediately can mean opening a closed highway sooner, treating snow and ice more effectively, or better facilitating emergency service response.
Meteorological forecasts trigger the weather-related reconnaissance efforts.
Two specialists from other urban maintenance sections perform weather-related surveillance as needed. Once the threat of inclement weather road conditions subside, the crew returns to performing other roadway maintenance activities at night. If you have ideas for what you'd like to see on this page, please contact us.