Ela Township Highway Department ready for snow removal

Whether you love it, hate it or merely tolerate it, snow season has arrived.

The responsibility of providing snow and ice control for Ela Township's roadways, totaling 80 lane miles, is assigned to the Highway Department.

To keep township roads clear and safe for motorists, the highway department uses five mainline trucks equipped with snow plows and liquid tanks to apply salt brine beet heat solution, four pickup trucks with snow plows and two anti-ice spray units.

The Highway Department's salt bin can hold 300 tons of salt, which can be replenished as needed via a contract with Lake County. The township has also purchased a new 2,800-ton capacity salt dome, which located on village of Lake Zurich property, for emergency use.

The township can keep 200 tons of salt on reserve there. Other villages within the township could potentially store reserve salt in this dome as well.

"Since salt is a commodity and the price fluctuates, we can buy extra when the price is low to keep on hand during years when prices are higher," Ela Township Highway Department Foreman Jeff Thompson said.

Each snow removal season, the township uses an average of 600 to 800 tons of salt, mixed with an eco-friendly beet juice cocktail that helps prevent ice buildup.

"We try to conserve as much salt as we can because it's not good for the environment, the ponds," said Bill Kruckenberg, Ela Township Highway Commissioner. "Once that salt goes into the ponds, it never goes away."

Roads and subdivisions maintained by Ela Township include: Echo Lake Road, North Lakewood Road, John Court, Gabriel Drive, Sacamano Court, Miller Road, Del Court, Indian Trail Road, Ivy Lane, Dartmouth Lane, Columbia Court, Woodbury Court, August Lane, Anna Court, Old McHenry Court, Hazelcrest Road, Rand Court, Plum Grove Road and Shirley Road, along with the subdivisions of Echo Lake, Forest Lake, Long Meadows Farm, Indian Meadows, Hillside Estates, Abby Glenn, Lochanora and Valentine Manor. The township also plows a section of Deer Park.

Gilmer, Old McHenry and Fairfield roads are plowed by Lake County, while Midlothian Road, Route 12 (Rand Road) and Route 22 are the responsibility of the state.

When sharing the road with a snowplow, motorists are advised not to follow too closely, as plows make frequent stops and turns, and to use caution when passing.

"Use common sense," Kruckenberg said.

And remember, if you can't see the plow's mirror, they can't see you.

It should also be noted that the Highway Department cannot tow vehicles that are stuck or in ditches simply because their trucks are too powerful and would end up causing more damage.

"Our trucks would destroy any vehicle smaller than us," Thompson said.

For more information about the services of the Ela Township Highway Department, visit www.elatownship.org/highway.

Ela Township serves more than 40,000 residents and covers 36 square miles. Within its borders are all or part of the villages of Barrington, Deer Park, Hawthorn Woods, Kildeer, Lake Zurich, Long Grove, North Barrington and portions of unincorporated Palatine and Mundelein.

The Ela Township Offices are at 1155 E. Route 22 in Lake Zurich. For more information about township programs and services, visit www.elatownship.org.

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