70+ Plows, Long Shifts, and Contractors’ Snow Trouble

Source: Future Publishing / Getty

INDIANAPOLIS – Over 70 snowplow trucks will be on the streets in Indianapolis for the next several days, working around the clock to clear roads. Drivers will work 11-hour shifts until the job is done.

“It’s a lot of monitoring and responding,” said Kyle Bloyd, chief communications officer. “Forecasts change, as we all know, living in Indiana. In addition to staying ahead of the storm, we also have to prepare our crews. These big events are tough on equipment and on our crews.”

Crews will face challenging conditions as temperatures stay below freezing and light winds blow snow back onto cleared roads.

“If we’re dealing with more snow and consistently cold temperatures, we’ll have to find a place to put it, which is what we’re dealing with right now,” Bloyd said.

The city is also addressing an issue with private contractors moving snow from neighborhoods onto city streets, forcing city workers to clean it up.

“That’s not the best way to do things,” Bloyd said. “Contractors can be fined, so we need them to work with us.”