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Morning commuters ask where the salt trucks were during the first major snow of the season

Commuters concerned about lack of snow plows and salt trucks
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The first major snow of the season made for a messy and sloppy commute on Thursday.

Drivers across SE Wisconsin have reached out to ask TMJ4 News why they didn't see more salt trucks and plows out on the road.

Sean Devlyn
Sean Devlyn, concerned morning commuter

"I started my day at like 7 a.m. and the roads were miserable," said Sean Devlyn. "Along the highway, I constantly saw people spinning out or lined up on the side of the road."

Devlyn is not alone. Several viewers asked where the plows were and why more prep work wasn't done leading up to this snowfall.

Viewers concerned about lack of salt and plows

"For the last week, we heard that snow was coming this week so I felt like they could have better prepared for it. More salt down, less slippery," said Jennifer Bryant.

Jennifer Bryant
Jennifer Bryant, concerned morning commuter

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation said counties use salt and brine to treat interstates and roads.

In Waukesha County though, a spokesperson said conditions worsened so much that trucks were struggling to make it up hills and car crashes began to pile up.

Watch: Commuters ask where the salt trucks were during the first snow of the season

Morning commuters ask where the salt trucks were during the first major snow of the season

There were upwards of 150 reports of crashes to 911 dispatchers in Waukesha County by 10 a.m.

In the City of Milwaukee, where drivers had similar concerns, TMJ4 Lighthouse Reporter Ryan Jenkins took viewers' questions directly to the Department of Public Works.

Ryan Jenkins: "There are a lot of people who are reaching out to us on social media saying they feel more could have been done last night into this morning. How do you respond to that?

Jeffery Smith, DPW Sanitation Area Manager: "It was bare pavement last night from our standpoint. So there was no reason to use salt at that time. We would not put salt on bare pavement and pre-salting that's for usually larger events."

That salt and brine operation was underway in Milwaukee on Thursday. Officials said underbelly plows were helping to clear streets of slush and that there simply wasn't enough snow to deploy large front-blade plow trucks.

A slippery situation for drivers who believe more could've been done.

"I would've liked to see at least one truck out putting down salt. I didn't see any of that. I saw plenty of cops out trying to help people but no plows," said Devlyn.


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