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Following historic snowfall, Kent Co. Road Commission continues efforts

With more snow covering West Michigan Friday morning, Kent County Road Commission’s director of operations says it’s not yet time for drivers to letup on caution.

KENT COUNTY, Mich. — As the ongoing lake-effect snow creates conditions to drastically every hour at times, roadworkers are continuing to ask drivers to be careful.

“We're in a lull right now,” said Jerry Byrne, director of operations for the Kent County Road Commission (KCRC). “The roads have improved from last night, but they're worse than what they were (Thursday) morning.”

With more than seven inches of snow in the past 24 hours, Byrne said side roads are slippery.

“There's a lot of hard pack, but there's some wet pavement,” he said. “So don't be mistaken when you see what pavement and think it's all great because a mile down the road, it could be hard pack and icy.”

According to a release, the commission’s morning crews began addressing the ongoing snowfall at 4 a.m. Friday and have made “good progress” throughout their state and primary county roads. Their storm response is expected to continue through the weekend.

“(The) issue is that the continuing snowfall – which is falling currently in some parts of the county, and expected to begin later this morning in others – is limiting the ability to move back into local roads (which received service yesterday) and neighborhoods (most of which have not received service),” the release stated. “As the day progresses, KCRC will have a clearer strategy for the afternoon, evening and overnight efforts.”

Though conditions are better than Thursday night, Byrne said drivers need to remain vigilant.

“The lake-effect bands are going to set back up,” he said, later adding that having features like four-wheel drive doesn’t mean those on the road should be complacent. “So no, it's not time to let up – it's time to get into winter mode and slow down.”

Though some county residents have criticized that not enough roads are being treated, Byrne said their trucks are continually filling up on salt and constantly making trips through roadways. Despite those efforts, weather conditions can hinder those efforts.

"People are saying, 'You're not putting any chemical down.' We're putting chemical down, but it's getting on the road – it's diluted, it's refreezing," he said. "It's a continuous cycle. And again, those changing road conditions so quickly that we just saw in the last hour, are so important for the motorists to pay attention to."

The commission also asks motorists to avoid tailgating and instead keep plenty of distance from other cars and their snowplows.

“Give these people some room,” Byrne said. “That rock salt and that sand will be bouncing on it – you don't want to bounce around your car – don't pass on the right. They're running these extended wings to try to get that snow off the road. So have the patience, back off, let them do their job and you should be able to make it.”

See the latest forecast here.

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