Winter begins on Dec. 21 and keeping our roads safe during inclement weather is of utmost importance to all of us.

Our Public Works Department is responsible for clearing 220 miles of Voorhees Township roads for safe travel during a snowstorm.  Each snowstorm is different and requires different snow removal techniques to achieve safe driving conditions.

Prior to a snowstorm, the Public Works Department will utilize road salt or salt brine to pretreat the roads.  The temperature, precipitation, storm timing and weather forecast determine which pretreat method is used.  The brine keeps ice from forming on roads, but only works when temperatures are above 23 degrees, and the roads are dry.

During a snowstorm, the Public Works Department will dispatch their fleet of 25 plow and salt trucks once snow has accumulated at least 3 inches. Each plow truck driver is assigned a route.  Drivers prioritize clearing snow from main roads, intersections and hills followed by secondary roads and courts.  As snow falls, the driver will clear snow from all Voorhees roads on their route multiple times.  When the snow stops falling, each driver will make a final pass with the plows on their route and apply road salt to avoid a refreeze.  The drivers will clear the roads curb to curb during the final pass to ensure proper access for emergency vehicles and mail delivery.  During the final pass, plows push snow to the sides of streets and, unfortunately, accumulation of snow on driveway aprons is unavoidable.  The final plow pass can take up to 10 hours.  An average of 100 tons of road salt is used during one snowstorm.

Residents can help in snow removal by removing all parked vehicles off the streets so the plow trucks can clear snow curb to curb and by avoiding placing snow back into the street from driveways and sidewalks after the streets have been cleared.  Snow from driveways and sidewalks can cause a hazard for emergency vehicles.

Camden County Public Works is responsible for snow removal on all county roads in Voorhees and the State of New Jersey is responsible for snow removal on Route 73 in Voorhees.

During cold emergencies, Code Blue plans will be initiated. If you or someone you know loses heat or needs protection from the elements, Voorhees Township, along with the Camden County Health Department and the Office of Emergency Management, work to ensure that we have proper resources in place. Every municipality in the County has identified locations to accommodate residents seeking shelter from the severe weather. Voorhees has identified the Voorhees Library, 203 Laurel Road (856) 772-1636 and the Voorhees Town Center, 2120 Voorhees Town Center (856) 772-6400.

Other Emergency information to keep on hand during the winter season includes:

Atlantic City Electric 1-800-833-7476 / www.atlanticcityelectric.com/home.

PSE&G 1-800-436-7734 / www.pseg.com/home/customer_service/outage_info/index.jsp.

NJ American Water 1-800-272-1325 / www.amwater.com.

South Jersey Gas 1-800-582-7060 / www.southjerseygas.com.

Verizon 1-800-837-4966 / www.verizon.com.

Comcast -1-800934-6489 / www.xfinity.com.

Camden county public works 856-566-2980 / www.highway@camdencounty.com.

Voorhees township public works 856-428-5499 www.voorheesnj.com.

 

We hope you enjoy the winter and stay safe.