Mahoning Valley ODOT preps for ice and snow
Staff photos / J.T. Whitehouse Trending
ODOT1
ODOT Mechanic Steve Suverison II checks the undercarriage of one of the 25 plow and salt trucks at the Mahoning County garage in Canfield as the fleet is prepared to handle ice and snow in the Mahoning Valley this winter.
ODOT2
ODOT mechanic Walter Perez checks every inch of the massive snow blade on one of the Canfield Posts plow trucks.
ODOT3
ODOT mechanic Walter Perez checks on the side plow used to increase the width of road snow removal.
ODOT4
ODOT Mechanic Steve Suverison II operates the controls as a fellow mechanic checks the lights and hydraulics on one of the 25 trucks being prepared for winter's worse.
ODOT5
ODOT District 4 Public Information Officer Justin Chesnic points out the side sprayers used to keep bridge walls clear from snow build-up when putting down de-icing agent. The liquid de-icer can be used before an event or during, and has a mix to keep it working at temperatures below 20 degrees.
ODOT6
ODOT official Justin Chesnic said the snow plow painting program ended in September with several local schools participating. The plows will be photographed and put on the district's Facebook page at the end of November. The winning school will receive a special banner. Pictured is the South Range plow design.
CANFIELD ---- The Ohio Department of Transportation's four mechanics went over every truck in its garage Tuesday as part of an annual tradition to ensure safe, fully-functioning trucks hit the road when ice and snow fly.
ODOT District 4, of which the Canfield Post is part, covers Mahoning, Trumbull, Ashtabula, Portage, Stark and Summit counties. In Mahoning County, the Post has 25 trucks, 29 drivers and four mechanics to cover 732 miles of state roadways.
The trucks were gone Tuesday over with a fine-tooth comb. Workers checked every bolt and nut, all the lights and the ever-important hydraulics.
"It's a 150-point inspection on each vehicle," said ODOT Public Information Officer Justin Chesnic. "The mechanics are the behind-the-scenes folks who keep our fleet running."
Some of the vehicles are fitted to handle liquid de-icer. During the 2025-26 winter, the Canfield fleet used 498,882 gallons of de-icer and 17,002 tons of road salt, a big increase over the three-year average.
As for manpower, the 29 drivers at the Canfield Garage put in a total of 23,027 hours covering 195,183 miles to keep state routes open and safe.
"To help protect the safety of Ohioans on the road, ODOT crews are preparing now to make sure the equipment needed to plow snow and dissolve ice is ready when winter hits," Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said in a press release. "Safety is our top goal and Ohio will be ready to help travelers have a clear path on the roads."
Safety is also a responsibility of motorists when it comes to plowing snow. Last winter, in Ohio, 58 snowplows were struck. Chesnic said when a crash with a plow happens, it takes a vital piece of equipment off the road, forcing other plows to extend their routes to cover the damaged truck's route.
"We urge Ohio drivers to give crews plenty of room to work, which will result in safer roads for all," Chesnic said.
He also noted the annual Paint-A-Plow program is on again this year. He said there are normally 20 schools that participate by having a plow dropped off at the school for art students to paint with their own designs. The plows were picked up this month and brought to the garage to be installed on the ODOT dump trucks.
"Locally we had Austintown, Jackson Milton and South Range take part in the program," Chesnic said. "We will be photographing the finished plows and in November, post them on our Facebook page."
The winner of the contest will get a banner to display at its school.
The painted plows could be seen during the winter when the trucks go out. Some of the plows have art from previous years, along with the new art.