Cost of cleaning up from winter storm rising

(Undated-AP) -- Snow and ice are dealing many Oklahoma communities a blow to the wallet, as the costs of keeping roads and streets safe are mounting. <br><br>Temperatures below freezing have kept the snow

Thursday, February 27th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Undated-AP) -- Snow and ice are dealing many Oklahoma communities a blow to the wallet, as the costs of keeping roads and streets safe are mounting.

Temperatures below freezing have kept the snow from melting and made continuous road work necessary.

The city of Tulsa has already exceeded its overtime budget for road crews and Public Works Department spokesman Bob Bledsoe says city trucks have applied more than twice the budgeted amount of salt to streets.

The town of Newkirk and Kay County have declared emergencies through the Oklahoma Department of Civil Emergency Management.

Newkirk cited 30,000 dollars in response costs and Kay County reported one million dollars in response and damage costs.

But the cold weather is fending off another expense -- potholes.

Bledsoe says a pothole problem is likely once the weather warms up.