LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Crews from Louisville Metro's Snow Team are hard at work cleaning up the city after Kentucky's biggest winter storm in more than two years, Mayor Craig Greenberg, D-Louisville, said during a Tuesday afternoon news conference.
There are 110 snow routes crews need to clear, Greenberg said, all of which they've covered multiple times. This equates to 2,700 miles. Snow plows have driven more than 9,000 miles and have used 25 million pounds of salt.
The mayor described the recent storm as an unprecedented weather event, marking the largest snowfall Louisville has seen in 25 years.
"Our priority is getting as many streets plowed as quickly as possible," Greenberg said.
Greenberg thanked the Snow Team for working long hours as some crews have worked for 55 straight hours since early Sunday morning. He urged those with a designated snow route that hasn't been cleared to call Metro311. Sidewalks are the responsibility of property owners, he added, and those who need to drive should wipe off snow from the hood and the roof of their cars before traveling.
He said starting Wednesday morning, crews will shift their attention to non-snow routes and focus on intersections and corners while working with Jefferson County Public Schools on high-priority areas.
"There's still work to do, but a lot has already been done," the mayor said.
Wednesday, Jan. 8 will mark the third straight snow day for JCPS. Carolyn Callahan, a district spokesperson, said a decision will come tomorrow at the earliest on whether students will be back in the classroom on Thursday, Jan. 9.
A decision will be made by 5 a.m. Thursday at the latest, she said. Five snow days are built into the school year, so there is no change to the school calendar at this point.
More than 40,000 JCPS students are bus riders, and road conditions are a top priority when deciding whether to reopen schools, Callahan added.
"A lot of those bus stops are on side roads," Callahan said. "As you can imagine, our bus stops are spread out throughout the city, throughout the county, so that's one of the things that we think about."
Callahan said there are no broken pipes or building damage, and the heat is on at all buildings. She thanked the district's snow team for its work.
"We have incredible snow team at Jefferson County Public Schools," Callahan said. "They have been working in 12-hour shifts throughout this storm."
Greenberg added the Transit Authority of River City is running its six busiest routes and TARC3 service is operational, but delays are possible because of the conditions. The Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport is also operational. Those looking to get out of the house can enjoy activities such as the city's libraries, community centers and the Louisville Zoo, Greenberg said, all of which are fully open.
-
