City's winter crews battle icy roads with 225 tons of salt and brine
Sudden Winter Storm Keeps Our City on High Alert
The abrupt onset of winter has kept residents across the region on their toes—and our city is no exception. Since the start of the year, 33 municipal workers have been deployed daily in early shifts, with another eight in late shifts, battling grueling conditions to clear streets, paths, and squares. Their tireless efforts ensure that even in icy or snowy weather, public safety remains guaranteed at all times.
The winter service fleet includes five large vehicles and six tractors in the early shifts, along with two large vehicles and two tractors in the late shifts, patrolling the city's roads. Since January 2, crews have used approximately 225 tons of road salt and 50 tons of brine to keep surfaces passable.
The alert service conducts early-morning inspection drives across different elevations at 4 a.m. on weekdays. If conditions demand it, on-call staff are summoned to the municipal depot by 4:30 a.m. Some days also require additional late-shift deployments, with a focus on high-traffic areas like shopping centers, tram stops, bus routes, and main thoroughfares.
Marco Greif, head of the municipal operations depot, praises the seamless collaboration with the neighboring municipality of Schauenburg and the city's road maintenance authority. "We support each other and can always count on one another," he says. "Our heartfelt thanks go to all our colleagues for their dedication."
The city's snow removal and de-icing priorities are outlined in its official clearance and gritting plan. Alongside traditional road salt, the use of brine has proven an eco-friendly alternative in recent years. The sodium chloride solution is now applied across all districts.
As the next cold snap approaches, Greif has one request for residents: "Please stick to the cleared paths—especially on Europaplatz and the market square—and avoid walking through the snow, where the risk of slipping is much higher."
