LAYTON, Utah (ABC4) — Snowplow drivers across the state have been working around the clock this week as massive snowstorms rolled across Utah. Even on the city level, keeping roads clear and safe takes a ton of manpower, a ton of equipment and tons of salt — literally.   

“We get used to it. It’s not bad,” said Layton Public Works Supervisor Mark Bauer with a big smile.

Spirits are high at the department even after Bauer and the crew pulled multiple 14-hour shifts to stay on top of road conditions.    

“We’re not trying to be at war with you,” Bauer said. “We’re there to make it easier on your life, so we’re really not trying to make it hard on you. We’re just trying to get the roads clear.”  

The public works department maintains 300 miles of road across Layton. During a snowstorm, they typically use 500 tons of salt. 

However, this most recent storm was anything but typical. The department reports that it had used 800 tons of salt in the past few days, which was stored in two storage units, each holding 1,000 tons.

Keeping drivers safe is expensive. All that salt cost roughly $23,000. 

Along with the salt, there are a lot of other resources that are used to clear streets of snow and slush.

Layton City uses 17 10-wheeler trucks. These are the big plows used on main roads. There are 20 one-ton trucks that are smaller plows used in residential areas. And the crew consists of about 40 people who all put in long hours during storms.

Roylance and his daughter, Cassidee, came across an accident after one driver lost control after hitting the ice. That accident, Roylance said, quickly turned into 11 crashes.  

“They’d spun out, and then they’d hit their brakes and started sliding backward,” Roylance recounted. “It was just nonstop.”  

He and his daughter were lucky. Their vehicle avoided sliding and having any other cars slide into their vehicle.

“I backed off the road because I had a feeling, and sure enough. If I would have stayed where I was, my car would have been hit,” he said.  

Roylance said this is a good reminder to go slow even when you think the road is clear. He said the road had recently been plowed by the city, and after the crashes began, the city sent additional plows to the area to lay more salt on the road.  

With another storm coming, Layton Public Works reminds the community to not park on the street during active weather. 

“You can see how wide that truck is,” Bauer said. “They’re half the width of the street so when there are two cars in the road, you’re kind of limited in getting through.” 

He also emphasized the need for people to keep the snow they shovel off their sidewalks and driveway. Do not push it into the road.

“They throw it out, and it freezes,” Bauer said. “It’s hard on the plows. The next time we come through, they have to back over it. It’s just not fun for everybody. It is nice when they keep it in their yard or park strip.”