ODOT Employees Draw Praise For Handling Blizzard

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The state's transportation director Monday praised street maintenance crews for their quick action to last week's early winter blizzard.<br/><br/>Director Gary Ridley says

Monday, December 4th 2006, 4:43 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The state's transportation director Monday praised street maintenance crews for their quick action to last week's early winter blizzard.

Director Gary Ridley says state employees struggled to keep Oklahoma's roads and highways safe for motorists despite the heavy snowfall, freezing temperatures and wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour.

Commission Chairman Danny Overland said the winter storm was one of the worst he could remember and praised ODOT crews for their work.

The winter storm dumped between 10 and 15 inches over the northeast quarter of the state, and high winds resulted in snow drifts as high as four to five feet in some parts of the state.

Even though the storm arrived at the end of the month, it resulted in November snowfall records for several cities, including Oklahoma City.