ST JOSEPH, Ind. -- As snow continues to fall across Michiana, St. Joseph County highway crews are working around the clock to keep major roads clear — but many residents are questioning why neighborhood streets and cul-de-sacs haven't seen plows yet.
According to county officials, there is a method behind the delays.
County crews follow a priority system, beginning with the most-traveled roads before moving into subdivisions. The region is divided into four plow districts — northeast, southeast, southwest and northwest — and each driver is assigned a specific route.
“We typically concentrate on mains, like Cleveland Road, and secondaries like Lilac Road before we get into subdivisions,” said county engineer Sky Medors. “If someone can get out of their subdivision but the mains aren’t clear, they really don’t have anywhere to go.”
Recent days of heavy, continuous snowfall have kept crews on those primary and secondary roads for longer than usual.
Medors said plow drivers didn’t make it into most subdivisions until Sunday, and even then, it was “one in, one out” — meaning not all the snow could be cleared.
Residents have also raised concerns about cul-de-sacs, which are taking even longer to clear. St. Joseph County is responsible for plowing around 700 of them, and each one can take up to 30 minutes.
“We plow the snow to the center first…emergency vehicles can get in,” Medors said. “Later, we come back and distribute that snow evenly across the properties in the cul-de-sac.”
County officials say cul-de-sacs are the lowest tier on the priority list, meaning they will likely continue to see delays as long as snowfall remains steady and crews stay focused on main routes.