Did you know that NOT all roads within the Township are maintained by Wayne Township?

All other roads in the unincorporated areas of Wayne Township are maintained by the Township Road Department (513) 897-3010 x 3

Roads within the the Village of Waynesville (513) 897-8015 and

within the Village of Corwin (including Furnas Forge) (937) 557-1116

Wayne Township Road Department has updated its snow and ice removal practices just in time for winter.

In addition to a new F-550 plow truck, the Township has retrofitted its other vehicles to apply a liquid de-icing solution in addition to its standard salt and grit application. The liquid solution, “Beet-Heet”, is a derivative of the sugar beet. It is a natural product that is less toxic, less corrosive, and stays put better than salt alone.

Additional benefits of beet juices is its ability to effectively treat roadways in very cold conditions. Whereas salt is most effective in temperatures above 15-20 degrees F, beet juice lowers the freezing point of water to as low as -20 degrees F.  For instance, a study performed by the Missouri Department of Transportation found that at 30 degrees F, or just below freezing, one pound of salt alone is capable of melting about 46.3 pounds of ice. But at zero degrees, this same amount of salt will only melt about 3.7 pounds of ice.

The same MDOT study found that adding beet juice to road salt also significantly lowers the “bounce rate” of salt from about 30 percent to 5 percent. This means that the salt stays on the roads where it can do its job, rather than bounce off to the shoulder as vehicles drive over it. Therefore, far less salt is needed to cover an icy roadway or walkway.  Beet juice is also easier on vehicles, pavement, plants, trees, ground water and waterways than salt alone.

When driving in wintery conditions, please be mindful of ODOT’s Driving Tips:

ODOT urges motorists to drive to the condition of the road and use caution during winter weather. Before you leave home, check road conditions and live web cams at www.ohgo.com.

While traveling in winter conditions, brake early and slowly, never slam on the brakes and give yourself plenty of room to stop. Be aware of what’s going on ahead of you. A large number of crashes are due to unsafe speeds and following too closely.

Give snowplows room to work - don’t crowd the plow. Be patient and if possible, don’t pass a plow, but if you must pass always take extreme caution and beware of the snow cloud. A snowplow operator’s field of vision is restricted. You may see them, but they don’t always see you. Keep your distance and watch for sudden stops.