“It’s like keeping a driveway clean for an entire community,” Arkwright Highway Superintendent Lisa Waldron said. “It has definitely been some long days for my guys, but the guys are doing great.”

Waldron has a department with four full-time workers and one part-timer. Her crew is responsible for 40 miles of road in each direction, totaling 80 lane miles in the town of Arkwright as they plow each side of the road. Waldron said on Sunday, the town of Arkwright was hit with 8-10 inches of snow during working hours.

“I think it’s going good. We’re going at a steady pace,” Waldron said. “You’ve got to give the snow a little bit of time to build up before you can push it off.”

Three new pieces of equipment “have been a big help” in the city of Dunkirk, according to city Department of Public Works chief Randy Woodbury.

OBSERVER Photos by Braden Carmen Pictured is Jeff Feinen, Highway Superintendent of the Town of Dunkirk and the Town of Sheridan.

“Street Supervisor Tim Gotowka and crew have kept up very well so far,” he said. “The three new pieces of heavy equipment bought through CHIPs funds have been a big help – yard loader for salt and enough salt trucks to have one for each ward.”

Woodbury said Mayor Kate Wdowiasz “is kept in the loop (about weather and road conditions) through a 24/7 group text thread with her, police and fire chiefs, the deputy DPW director and me. We especially thank the police for helping to get cars moved to alternate sides daily so plows can make it through. We thank the Parks Division for keeping fire halls and city parking lots clear. And we thank the OBSERVER for their fast Internet news banners when police issue travel advisories because Western New York winter conditions often change very rapidly.”

Jeff Feinen, Highway Superintendent of the town of Sheridan and the town of Dunkirk, said because of the cold temperatures and heavy snowfall, his departments have switched from a salt mix to primarily sand. He stated that salt has been ineffective in these conditions, so sand is used just to help vehicles get the traction they need.

“In conditions like this, you’re fighting a losing battle. It’s going to continue snowing. We’re putting the sand down on the roads just for traction at this point,” Feinen said.

Feinen has had a few equipment issues with trucks so far this winter, but his crew has been pushing forward. Sheridan is comprised of four full-time workers, but all four workers are in their first winter with Feinen’s crew. Each worker is responsible for plowing 40 miles of road. They trade off shifts two at a time during winter storms, with one pair starting at 3:30 a.m., ending at noon, and the other pair working from noon until 8:30 p.m.

In the town of Dunkirk, Feinen oversees a much smaller crew, with only one full-time worker and one part-timer. The full-timer works early mornings to plow the roads for the morning commute, while the part-timer is called in on an as-needed basis.

“The guys are doing a great job,” Feinen said. “They are obviously getting a little tired, but they are doing a fantastic job.”

Waldron said the biggest challenge is gauging the right time to have her employees plowing the roads. She tries to make sure that once her employees finish their route, they don’t have to go right back over it again.

“We try to time it so people can go to work and get home safely, or run to the store for major necessities,” Waldron said. “You want to make sure it’s just right.”

While many residents opt to wait until the snow is finished falling before they dig out their vehicles from piles of snow, highway departments need to be continuously battling the snow to keep it from piling up. “We’ve got to get out there and keep it maintained,” Waldron said.

The heavy snowfall is challenging itself, but that’s nothing new for western New York. Waldron and Feinen both stated that the snowfall itself is not out of the ordinary, however, the continuous brutal cold this winter has made things even harder to manage. Waldron stated that equipment has been tougher to operate in the cold this winter.

“It really does a doozy on equipment. When they are out there trying to continuously run this equipment in these freezing temps, lots of times, they can’t even get through their route. They have to go back and thaw out to go back out again,” Waldron said.

Specific to this past storm, Waldron was pleased to see fewer vehicles out and about this time compared to other recent storms. She urged residents to take travel advisories seriously to help keep the roads clear for the plows to do their job.

Feinen urged residents to refrain from pushing snow out into the roads as they clear their driveways. He also urged residents to follow street laws and avoid parking in the street to allow for the necessary room for the plows to operate.

“Give us the time. We’re trying,” Waldron said.