On Friday, Tara Jackson, acting county executive, visited the intersection of Catskill Street and 24th Avenue in Temple Hills and saw first-hand the snow and ice from Monday that remain on the roads.
“I’m concerned about some of the operation, not all of the operation,” Jackson said. “It wasn’t for lack of effort, it wasn’t for lack of planning, but we need to do more to get it right.”
Jackson told WTOP that 500 workers have been working nonstop to clear the 2,000 roadways in Prince George’s County, and preparations started last Friday.
One of the issues has been the cold temperatures. The rock salt used by the county does not work effectively when temperatures are well below freezing.
Michael Johnson, the Prince George’s County Department of Public Works and Transportation director, said the county spent $30,000 on 12,000 gallons of a new deicing compound that works better with lower temperatures.
Johnson pointed out that the county clears primary roads first and then moves to clear the neighborhood streets.
Afterward, Jackson said that she was going to take a look at the entire operation and make sure they get around to their neighborhoods in a timely fashion.
During this press conference, one resident came outside their home and approached the Jackson looking for answers.
Paballo Arellano told Jackson, “It’s 96 hours out for the storm, and we still aren’t able to leave our houses.”
Jackson told Arellano that she appreciated his feedback, it was the reason they were out there and that they were going to look at certain areas of the county’s operation.
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