Transportation Cabinet
KENTUCKY TRANSPORTATION CABINET SALUTES the “STORM CREWS”- HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT ROAD CREWS RECEIVE ACCOLADES FOR EXCEPTIONAL PUBLIC SERVICE

FRANKFORT,KY ( December 19, 2005) - For many, Christmas and New Year’s make up the most cherished holiday period of the year. To “Ole Man Winter” each one is “just another day at the office.” It’s that “Winter Attitude” that brings out the best in every Kentucky Highway Department maintenance crew, especially during the holidays.

 “Our maintenance personnel are not limited to daytime hours during the regular work week,” said Transportation Cabinet Secretary, Bill Nighbert. “When bitter winter weather makes a negative impact on travel in Kentucky, these dedicated employees answer the call time after time, weekend after weekend, holiday after holiday.”

 Sometimes “Ole Man Winter” can really dish it out during the holidays and on weekends, serving up inch after inch of the fluffy white stuff, sometimes with the “icing” on top, sometimes “upside down.” “Those kinds of weather events can make things really difficult for holiday travelers,” acknowledged Commissioner of Highways, Marc Williams. “We’re not just doling out platitudes here when we talk about the sacrifices our maintenance crews make to keep the roads in good shape.  Keep in mind, too, they may be leaving their family on Christmas Day to make roads safer for your family’s travel.”

 One Chief District Engineer, Katrina Bradley of Flemingsburg, offered this assessment of her own experience on a weekend snow removal “mission”. “It was awesome! The control panel of the dump truck reminded me of the cockpit of an airplane. Our people were in constant communication with each other throughout the district and throughout the night.” Bradley made stops at six of the maintenance facilities in her district. She was struck by the presence of a true sense of camaraderie among the crew members. “Our guys are real troopers! They took their mission very seriously. They were there to get the job done and still managed to relish the adventure.”

 During weather emergencies all road crews are in regular contact with district office management teams, who, in turn, regularly communicate with the Kentucky Transportation Operations Center (TOC) in Frankfort. Measures are also in place to enable the TOC to get reports directly from the crews in their trucks. Through the 511 system the TOC keeps the public informed about road conditions all across the Commonwealth. While each step in this process is very important to travelers, no effort is more appreciated than that put forth by the “real storm troopers” from each maintenance garage.

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