INDIANAPOLIS — Two private vendors will join Indianapolis Department of Public Works crews as they plow city roads. While DPW crews will focus on the city's major thoroughfares, the vendors will tackle a network of key residential or neighborhood streets.
It's the first time DPW has used private contractors to clear snow in five years. It also comes after the department changed its policy on when contractors are activated.
In the past, DPW would not activate vendors to plow neighborhood streets until snowfall had reached the 6-inch mark — which this snowfall hit anyways.
The contractors' trucks hit the streets at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. They have 24 hours to clear 300 center-lane miles of streets connecting to major roads.
In November, DPW Director Dan Parker said that rule was outdated.
"Milder winters in recent years have caused us to rethink our strategy in addressing residential streets," Parker said. "We believe that the new policy gives our winter operations team the ability to direct work on connector streets as soon as conditions warrant, not only when we reach the 6-inch mark."
While Monday's stormed certainly exceeded 6 inches, the new rule allows the city to call contractors in when snow totals are less than that and conditions warrant it.
The contractors used by the city will be paid on a rate based on the amount of snowfall and the miles. For this snowfall, the contractors will receive $150,000.
Check plow conditions on Indy roads
If you’re trying to avoid unplowed streets, check up on road conditions before leaving the house.
Indy DPW’s Snow Force has activated a site that will allow for a real-time check on major roads in Indianapolis.
You can tell if snow was recently cleared from a road or if it’s been more than 8 hours since a plow moved through.
A travel advisory for Indianapolis has been extended through at least 6 a.m. Wednesday.
To see the residential roads that could now be cleared, click here. NOTE: neighborhood roads to be plowed are marked in blue.