Treacherous Roads

The State Highway Department screwed up in my opinion. My wife and I went to Plainfield at 5:30 PM Monday evening and saw NO Highway trucks. At 7:55 PM we left Plainfield on I70 and got to US 231 at 9:00 PM and saw only one Highway truck. When we passed him he WAS NOT spreading salt or sand and he was driving much slower than everyone else and we were driving slow as you can tell by the time it took getting from Plainfield to US 231.

I have to agree-someone dropped the ball big time on 40, I live 1 mile from the Clay County line and there were 3 cars off on 40 in that mile stretch Putnam County. I hit the Clay County line and it was sanded and down to the pavement,

In all the years I have lived here, I have never seen Clay County roads in better shape than Putnam, but hats off to Clay County Tuesday morning.

This was nothing but an ice skating rink in Putnam County.

I agree that from Manhatten to the Clay county line the roads are always much worse than after the Clay, Putnam line. From that point west until Brazil is almost always clear and east is always dangerous during snow or icy conditions. Does this say something about the workers from the state highway that manages the Putnam County area on Highway 40 east of the Clay putnam line? My little girl was on the bus during this and she came home and said it scared her to see so many cars having trouble during the time the bus was getting to school. We had to go to Brazil after school and the roads were still much worse than the Clay County area. Why is there such a difference in maintance of this Highway 40 by the state.

Once again another Mitch hater. Could it be that the people in charge of Putnam County and the road clean up are incompetent? I have lived in this area for about 8 years now much of it commuting to Indianapolis every day and the roads in Putnam County are always much worse than surrounding counties. Once I make it to Hendricks it is smooth sailing 90% of the time. Yesterday was no different. Once I was in Hendricks the roads were fairly clear. Plainfield and beyond on Interstate 70 I was back doing 70 MPH. So is it also Mitch's fault that other counties are better at clearing roads than others? Just a question?

The people in charge of the Cloverdale State Highway garage are the ones at fault. They dispatched the drivers to I-70 only. All other state roads are secondary. It's a miracle no one has been killed yet, but these poor decisions.

It shouldnt surprise anyone that the road conditions in putnam county are worse than any in the state, this happens every time we have bad weather, i just want to know if the county just dont care or if they arent smart enough to do there job? either way it is a bad deal for the taxpayers.

Driving home tonight, Hendrick County roads good and clear. Seen trucks out salting the roads. Putnam County, roads becoming snow covered and no trucks dropping salt. Looks like it could be a fun rush hour again tomorrow if it keeps snowing!

Putnam county and whoever is making decisions for the state are doing some p*#s poor planning. Every morning that I wake up to snow in the MIDDLE of Greencastle there is an inch or two of snow on the road and no plow trucks. Just to think they want us to put our kids on the school bus to brave crappy road conditions. Oh and something I have noticed if you have a 4WD you can go really fast and tailgate others....really it is no problem in the snow or ice. I see people do it all the time. Really??? Where do you have to go in Greencastle, Indiana that is so darn important that you endanger everyone around you? Ok I feel better now.

Just came through HWY 40 west bound from Indy, and saw two lone plow trucks plowing the east bound lanes just before reaching 240. Maybe our comments are reaching a broader audience than we thought....

how is it Mitchs Fault? Putnam County was the one NOT out plowing! I drove to Indianapolis for work Monday night and Home Tuesday morning and Putnam county Rds were still bad! That's their fault - Not Mitchs

Like most others, I never pass a chance to bang on Mitch - however, I believe the state pays the COUNTIES to clear the highways. I drove across this mess from Manhattan road to Brazil. The difference in road conditions were dramatic at the Clay/Putnam line. Clay county had done their section of 40 very well. I've made this trip for twenty years, most days going toward Clay county, and occassionally toward Plainfield - same scenario when crossing into Hendricks, roads MUCH better cleared. I think PCH is paid to take care of it, but if they don't they still get paid.

INDOT takes care of 240,40,I-70,243,236,42,231...

Having lived the life of a department of transportation spouse for many years I have to defend the employees of the state highway. First of all, yes Mitch deserves much of the credit for the way the roads are. No employees are being hired and the older employees are not allowed to have overtime so that leaves very few employees to do the work. Your supervisors and above are not going to plow snow or do any type of work so that leaves the same few people to do whatever they can get done. It is time for the upper grade of people to step up, get out of their warm offices and jump in a snow truck. They have at one time all been trained or have driven a snow plow so why can't they do it now when needed. Other employees are expected to change their jobs to fix the situation so why not the bosses? Even some secretarys are qualified to drive snow plows. Why are the taxpayers paying for all employees to have CDL licenses when they never use them? I agree the state roads in the Cloverdale Subdistrict are terrible but I still want to say thanks to the few that do their best with what time they are given to work.

Bomtrax5 - maybe it is INDOT...what do they do, lift the plows at the County line????Clay clear, Hendricks clear, Putnam frozen over and dangerous.Must be someone at INDOT that tells the drivers to either bypass Putnam or raise the blade.

I would like to comment on bomtrax5 and mamaw post. Being a indot snow supervisor I will and often do get in a plow truck and drive a snow route and I know that every supervisor and even the manager of subs drives also.Indot does not tell the drivers to raise the plow in or out of their home county. So please have your info correct before you start to comment on something that is just heresay. Thanks

We are living near US 40 and it is true that Putnam roads were very dangerous and Clay roads in pretty good shape.

We are lucky to have understanding employers when we are stuck like this BUT some people may loose their jobs over it or even their life!!

Like a lot of people, I am getting very tired of this situation.

We are paying taxes like everybody else and as a result, would like to see them used in an appropriate way, such as taking care of the roads!

I don't think that it is too much asking! This is the second storm this year and in both cases, US 40 in Putnam was terrible.

I think that our society has lost the notion of responsibility.

Truckdriver & MamaW, we are not attacking you personally but we would really like to understand WHY ONLY Putnam was in this poor shape!!!

Lazy K well said. On the bright side, the first week of February looks like nice weather so we can keep the snow plows in the garage. Hopefully it is like that the rest of winter because if it is not I am just going to start calling in because the roads in Putnam County are ridiculous.

highway 40 is the state highway's responsability not the county highway's

That still does not explain why 40 in Hendricks County and Clay County are clear and drivable but Putnam County is not. Great news, snow storm coming probably means a messy drive home on Friday. Maybe I will take the day off so I don't have to worry about driving on the roads in Putnam County.

I am THRILLED to find these comments...I live in vigo county and drive to Monrovia 5 days a week. IF there is going to be an accident, it is inevitably somewhere in the 28-38 mile markers on 70 eastbound! I personally have called the governors laison to INDOT twice since December, having got stuck in the same area (twice)...the first time she was sympathetic. The second time she acted like I was a liar and told me she had been told by the substation in Greencastle that they were putting salt down. If that were true, the roads would be somewhat uniform from Vigo County to Morgan county but this is NOT the case. Please call Charlene at the Governors office and complain so she will get the message that Putnam County is not getting the job done! I cannot take a day off everytime the weather gets bad because Putnam county for whatever reason is NOT salting I 70 before noon! Incidently, my daughter and I got thrown from our truck Feb 17 at milemarker 31-32 3 years ago and lived to tell about it. So, I am not exaggerating when I say, Putnam County does not take care of their section of the interstate!