Montpelier shed uses gravity
to aid in road-clearing efforts

The Montpelier maintenance shed, frequent contributors to the department's innovation funnel, has come up with another one: a gravity-flow spray bar that helps workers quickly apply brine to areas of greatest need or add brine to granular salt.

Use of the auxiliary brine applicator comes with a specific goal – "to make us more efficient in our jobs," said Montpelier Maintenance Foreman DeLoy Romrell. This adds an extra brine-applying system to each existing salt truck, which applies it to the wheel tracks directly, helping to clear the roads more quickly.

"Three of our stainles- steel bed 10-wheelers have been retrofitted with a gravity flow brine bar on the back of the sanding chute and an extra brine saddle tank," explained Romrell.

Crews have the regular pre-wet spray nozzles inside the sanding chute like every other truck, but the spray bar they installed on the back of the truck is for trouble areas like bridges, school zones, overpasses or curves -- or wherever ITD can save granular salt and just apply brine.

It is an innovative idea from the folks at the Montpelier shed, along with the help of the mechanics and fabrication shop in Pocatello.

"Those three trucks are the first to leave the yard almost every time – they are the operators' favorite," Romrell added.

Published 02-22-19