The Autobahn GmbH des Bundes considers itself well equipped for winter road maintenance on Saxony's freeways. "Road safety is always our top priority. Even in snowy and icy conditions, we do everything we can to ensure that the freeways in central Germany are in good condition," said Katrin Pfeil, Head of Operations at the Dresden branch office.
Winter maintenance on Saxony's freeways is an ongoing issue
Pfeil pointed out that the A4 freeway, the main artery for traffic in the Free State between Görlitz and the state border with Thuringia, has an elevation of more than 200 meters. The A17 from Dresden to Prague even goes up to 600 meters. "Winter road maintenance is an ongoing issue for us," said Pfeil. The winter road maintenance season begins next Monday.
15,000 tons of salt stored
According to Pfeil, the technology is ready for use. The halls are filled with 15,000 tons of salt, the brine mixing plants are operational and the shift plans have been drawn up. They are working around the clock, seven days a week. The season is planned to run until April 13, and the winter could last until then. The winter service will do everything it can to grit and clear the roads.
Traffic should flow as smoothly as possible
"We are aware of our responsibility to road users. We want traffic to flow as smoothly as possible on the freeway, even in winter," emphasized Pfeil. The economy also only works with traffic flowing smoothly. However, winter service also means that you can't be everywhere at the same time. They drive "clearing loops" and regularly drive the routes at intervals.
According to Autobahn GmbH, 72 winter service vehicles are in operation in Saxony. In total, the freeway maintenance depots and their 232 employees have a total distance of around 1,000 kilometers to maintain. There are six freeway maintenance depots in Saxony: Chemnitz, Leipzig, Döbeln, Dresden-Nickern, Dresden-Hellerau and Weißenberg.
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