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Snow and Ice Response Plan
Snow Event
The City of Kent is committed to providing quality service to the citizens of Kent during a snow and ice event. The safety of the motoring public is our primary concern. Our number one goal is to keep traffic moving through the City as efficiently as possible. In the event of road closures, there will be designated detour routes that will be clearly marked. Do not go around “Road Closed” signs. They are there for the protection of the motorists.
Citizen Preparedness
Please be prepared for the upcoming winter conditions. Have your vehicle winterized, and make sure you have adequate traction devices for the conditions you’ll be driving in. Please be patient and courteous to other drivers when traveling in hazardous conditions. Drive only when necessary and plan for delays.
Equipment
The City of Kent has four truck mounted plows with sanders, one 10-yard slide-in sander, one slide-in anti/de-icing liquid dispensing tank, two motor graders with rubber on the blades, and 4 Variable Message Boards (VMBs) to be placed on both the East Hill and West Hill in anticipation of major road closures. There will be one driver available per vehicle.
Weather Service
The City subscribes to a weather service that gives us daily reports on current and upcoming weather concerns. It also has a 24-hour monitoring system that informs us of changing weather patterns that might affect road conditions. Based on these reports, we can be ready for any upcoming storm within one to two hours.
Anti-Ice Applications
When notified of upcoming black ice alerts, we will schedule a two-person crew to start no later then 4:00 a.m., to apply the de-icing liquid (Calcium Magnesium Acetate, or CMA) to bridge decks, overpasses, known wet and shady areas, and other known problem areas to prevent icy conditions. These applications do not guarantee that all roads will be free of ice. Drivers still have to be cautious when driving in freezing weather. The City also has installed reflectors alongside the approaches to seven bridges to alert drivers to freezing conditions and to take appropriate actions to avoid accidents. When temperature drops at or below 32 degrees they will turn to a blue reflective color. These bridges are located at South 196th Street at the Green River, South 196th Street at 72nd Avenue South and 81st Avenue South, South 212th Street at the Green River, 108th Avenue Southeast at Southeast 274th Way, South 277th Street at the Green river, South 228th Street at the Green River, and Riverview Boulevard Bridge at South 231st Way (228th corridor). These locations are shown on the Snow Priority Routes and Emergency Road Closure Locations map (PDF, 3MB).
City Preparedness
When an advanced snow alert is given, the City street crews will install all snow and ice removal equipment during normal work hours and determine if a stand-by crew will be needed. Crews will place VMB trailers at the predetermined locations of 104th Avenue Southeast and Southeast 240th Street, 116th Avenue Southeast and Kent Kangley Road, Kent-Des Moines Road (KDM) and Military Road South, and Military Road South at South 231st Way. All road closure and detour signs will be pre-placed at the common road closures for immediate use if needed.
The shift supervisor will make contact with the Police Traffic Sergeant to set up communication numbers to assure prompt response between divisions. The shift supervisor will monitor conditions and pre-deploy trucks to crucial, well-known problem areas to start removal or sanding operations immediately.
These areas are as follows: Canyon Drive, James Street, Reith Road, and Southeast 277th Street.
Response
If stand-by is not needed, the first response crew will wait to be notified by the weather service or City of Kent Police Department.
When notified, the first response crews will start on the priority routes or where the weather has the most effect on roads. The first response Supervisor will make the decision to call in additional help should the need occur. If additional help is required or the snow and ice event continues past a regular work shift, a 24-hour service will commence until no longer needed.
When needed, the Supervisor will make contact with the Police Traffic Sergeant on duty to assist in traffic control and removal of abandoned or stuck vehicles from Canyon Drive, South 277th Corridor, Reith Road, and South 272nd Street.
Priorities
The City will prioritize levels of service so the public will know which areas will be taken care of first. Below is the Priority Schedule:
- Priority 1- Bridges, overpasses, hills, school bus routes, and known problem shady areas (De-icing, sanding, and plowing)
- Priority 2- Arterial roads (Second response needed, around the clock service, sanding, plowing, de-icing)
- Priority 3- Arterial collector roads (Around the clock service, sanding, plowing, and de-icing)
- Priority 4- Residential collector roads (When snow and ice event is winding down, up to a 72-hour delay)
- Priority 5- Residential roads (During daylight operations only, unless medical, police, or fire request help)
Upon first notification of road closures, the Operations Control Center and Transportation Engineering Center will work together to post these closures and alerts on the City’s website and Kent Radio (1650 AM). See the Snow Priority Routes and Emergency Road Closure Locations map (PDF, 3MB) for more information.
Vehicle Removal
In the event of heavy snow fall, vehicles that are abandoned or unable to move due to improper traction devices will be towed on Canyon Drive, Reith Road, and any other Arterial or Collector Street when said vehicle is blocking traffic flow. Vehicles that are towed will be stored in the Kent Senior Center parking lot located at Kennebeck Avenue and East Smith Street. Vehicles towed on Reith Road will stored in the parking lot of Fire Station #73, located at 26512 Military Road South. If your vehicle is towed it can only be held there for 48 hours, at which time the towing company may transfer it to their impoundment lot. The towing company will contact the owner of the towed vehicle to let them know the location of where the vehicle is stored and how much it will cost to retrieve the vehicle.
Property Owner’s Responsibility
Property owners will be responsible to clear away snow from all walkways adjoining their property. The City does not have the personnel to remove snow from sidewalks that are not part of the Public Works Department’s Snow Removal Plan. If in the rare event the snow is piled up from plows and graders along parking lots, parking stalls, corners of intersections, the City will remove the snow to another remote location, only after all other services are performed.
To report an abandoned vehicle, call 911.
To report icy road conditions, call 253-856-5600 during normal business hours.
For general questions not addressed on this page, call 253-856-5600 during normal business hours.