We Have An Ice Chunk Problem in Illinois
The snow stopped early Monday, but it appears as if we still have a big ice chunk problem in Northern Illinois, and people are mad about it!
So have you encountered the ice chunk mayhem on the roadways, yet? It goes like this:
Your driving on what appears to be a road that was plowed by the road crews and BAM! It feels like you ran over a boulder. Your vehicle's suspension sounds like it took a massive hit, so big, that you think you may need to get an alignment or new shocks.
The ice chunks on the roadways we are experiencing are somewhat of an anomaly as a result of the early season heavy wet snow we received. The chunks are actually caused by plowing the heavy wet snow and then having the remnants freeze up on the roadway after traffic passes over the accumulated snow. The problem arises when the roads are plowed, the temperature drops, and NO salt is spread afterward.
Drivers who pass over these areas feel like their car is driving on the surface of the moon.
Roads reported to be dealing with this ice chuck problem include:
- Genoa Road (North of Genoa)
- Melms Road (South Of Belvidere)
- Cherry Valley Road (Southeast of Cherry Valley)
- Annie Glidden / South 4th Street / Peace road (in DeKalb)
- Bell School Road (in Cherry Valley)
The City of DeKalb public works department has received numerous complaints about the ice chunks from residents. The public works director says that crews are now dealing with the problem:
There have been complaints about ice chunks on some roads following Sunday night’s snow storm and Monday’s plowing.
DeKalb Public Works Director Tim Holdeman says the city is aware of the condition
The problem is not confined to DeKalb County, ice chunks on roadways have been reported in most areas hit by Sunday Night's Blizzard
Since this storm came so early in the season, many municipalities do not want to use their salt supply due to rising costs. If you plan to drive, prepare to encounter ice chunks until the weather warms up this weekend.