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Idaho Matters

Plowing winter roads with ACHD

The Ada County Highway District has had their hands full lately, especially with all the snow. Idaho Matters sits down with ACHD to talk about the work they are doing to keep roadways safe.

Broadcast on:
17 Jan 2024

A snowplow works to clear a road.
(Shirakon / Flickr)

The Ada County Highway District is responsible for more than 5,300 lane miles of road, including most Boise roads.

And with just 43 snow plows, ACHD has been working 12-hour shifts trying to plow and treat the roads during the recent heavy snowstorms, but with all the recent snow, crews have at times found that plowing all those main roads, more than 4,000 cul-de-sacs and 3,000 miles of residential roads is a bit daunting.

How does ACHD plan for a big snowfall? Can they pre-treat roadways in advance? And who gets plowed first when the snow is coming down? These are questions people have been asking since the snow started falling. Jennifer Berenger, Deputy Director of Maintenance with ACHD, joined Idaho Matters to help provide some answers.