DelDOT is approaching its budget for storm cleanups with some winter left.
After a couple of years of either no snow or very little snow in Delaware, DelDOT has to again dip into its storm cleanup budget which is devoted for mostly winter storms.
Each fiscal year, DelDOT sets a $10 million budget for that budget, and this year the snow costs this winter are approaching that number.
“To date we've used about $9.6 million of that storm account already this fiscal year,” said DelDOT Director of Community Relations C.R. McLeod. “So again, it's been a very active winter with a lot of overtime with our crews, obviously working long hours to clear and treat roadways. So, that alone is a huge cost.”
McLeod notes this year is a significantly higher cost than in recent winters not just because of the actual storms, but the threat of other storms and possible icing.
So, what if March produces any more winter blasts and DelDOT has to go over that budget?
"It has happened in the past. There's been really bad winters where we do exceed what we've budgeted in that case, and in those instances, we do have to reallocate money from other areas of the department to cover those costs," said McLeod.
McLeod notes that going over budget wasn’t an issue the last several winters because of the lack of snow and ice in the First State.
