Winter prep is finished at the Leelanau County Road Commission as the first snow blanketed the Leelanau Peninsula last weekend.
"We were well prepared with trucks, and I was a little surprised with how much we got," Leelanau Road Commission manager Brendan Mullane said.
Sunday's storm had drivers out by 7:30 a.m. as the team started a 100-hour day.
Nevertheless, the poor road conditions didn't spare everyone, as there were numerous vehicle crashes and ditches.
The road commission is currently staffing around 25 drivers, with a need for three more to be fully staffed, similar to last year.
Last year was the first time since I started. We are doing well for the year, but we're down a few drivers. Last month, the road commission repaired multiple trucks, totaling nearly $50,000, according to Fleet and Facilities Manager Tim Trudell.
A whole crew safety meeting was scheduled earlier this week with Mackinaw Administrators and MDOT. Several drivers will attend the MCRCSIP training this week at the Grand Traverse County Road Commission.
Last year, the road commission ordered four new tandem axle plow trucks, which are expected to arrive sometime this winter. The order was scheduled for purchase in 2026 for $187,000 each. The road commission wanted to order the trucks so they could acquire them before the new emission standards go into effect in 2027.
The last of the 2025 trucks will be ready in a week or two, and the 2026 orders are on track to be early, with a goal of being received in January or February, providing an opportunity to bolster and replenish Leelanau's fleet for an end-of-winter flurry. This will be the last purchase until talks begin again in 2027-28, according to Mullane.
The commission goes through three to five tons of salt.
By the start of December last year, the road commission had plowed nearly 10,000 miles of road. By the beginning of January, that number had increased to 42,000 miles.
Drivers should obey the new "Stay Back 200" law, which was enacted by the state senate in 2024 and requires drivers to stay at least 200 feet behind active snowplows that are actively plowing, salting, or sanding our roads, unless legally passing or overtaking them. Drivers can tell a snowplow is active because it will typically be flashing its lights. This law also requires people to stop at least 20 feet away from a snowplow at an intersection.
Mullane admits he doesn't know if people are on average staying back more because of the new law, "But when those (situations) happen, it's much clearer who's at fault and it could be a good remediation," he said.
When the crew is not plowing this winter, they will be working on tree removal around Leelanau roadways.
