Kentucky Reports Transportation Costs of Harsh Winter

The harsh winter was a costly one for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.

The agency says it spent more than $68 million on snow and ice removal. That’s about 1 1/2 times the cost of a typical Kentucky winter.

The cabinet’s nearly 2,000 maintenance crew employees worked to keep more than 60,000 lane miles of roads open during 31 snow and ice events.

To keep roads clear, the cabinet spread more than 438,000 tons of salt, compared with 194,000 tons state crews put down on roads during a mild winter the year before. On average, crews spread 200,000 to 250,000 tons of salt in a year.

This past winter fell short of being a record setter. The cabinet says the winter of 2010-2011 cost $74 million and 450,000 tons of salt.