ALTON— Alton Public Works crews have been working continuously since 7 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, to address the severe winter storm that has impacted the region, bringing significant ice and sleet accumulation. The storm, described by Alton Public Works Director Mike Parsons as the worst the area has faced in three and a half years, is expected to persist with intermittent snow and sleet until early Monday morning, Jan. 6, 2025.
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Parsons reported that crews pretreated all the Alton brick streets and hills in anticipation of the storm, but the weather conditions that contained both snow and ice have made it challenging to maintain safe travel on secondary roads.
"We will be on the main streets first," he said. He encouraged patience and said his group would be working on the secondary roads right after the main streets.
As of now, the area has received between 5 to 8 inches of snow, adding to the complications caused by the ice and sleet. Public Works crews are equipped with numerous trucks and have deployed significant amounts of salt to assist with road-clearing efforts. Parsons emphasized that crews will remain on duty through the night and into the morning to monitor and address changing conditions.
The community has been advised to stay informed through social media updates from the Public Works Department as they continue their efforts to restore safe travel throughout Alton.
If you can avoid or limit travel during this winter weather event, please do so. If you must be on the roads, please be patient, cautious and leave plenty of space between your vehicle and others on the road. It’s especially important to give snow plows and salt trucks extra room to operate.
