GRAND RAPIDS, MI – As Grand Rapids has gotten slammed by brutal snowfall and freezing temperatures over the last month, the city’s public works department has been working overtime to clear the roads of accumulated snow.
With 41 local plow routes to get to, the city’s plow trucks operate around the clock during periods of heavy snowfall to ensure drivers can get through their local roads safely, said public works director John Gorney. The goal is to hit every city street within 24 hours when there’s three or more inches of snow.
Last month alone, Grand Rapids’ public works staff clocked an average of 115 hours of overtime per employee between the day and night shifts, Gorney said. The public works department had 24-hour coverage for 22 days straight, during which staff worked 12-hour shifts, day and night…