TULSA, Okla. — Crews have been clearing roadways — and runways — throughout the Tulsa metro since early Friday morning.
2 News Oklahoma’s Douglas Braff was on the roads — and the runways — Friday to see how they’ve been doing.
City of Tulsa crews spent Friday morning and the day plowing and salting the main arterials of T-Town. The city said crews will apply more salt overnight Friday to prevent black ice.
As for residential streets and commercial lots, Braff called over a dozen area companies providing snowplow services. The ones that picked up told him they were too busy with plowing to speak on camera.
He drove through different areas of the metro, and the residential side streets seemed pretty clear. By Friday afternoon, much of the snow had already melted or become mushy.
Up north, the Osage Nation Department of Housing cleared driveways at senior housing complexes in Pawhuska, Hominy, and Fairfax.
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Crews haven’t just been plowing the roadways; they’ve also been plowing the runways at Tulsa International Airport.
Asked how the snowfall impacted air travel Thursday night and Friday morning, Cole Brown, the director of operations, told 2 News, “Air travel wasn't impacted at Tulsa International Airport. We were actually able to accommodate some diverts from” Dallas-Fort Worth.
“We kept it clear and open, didn't have any bad break in action report,” he added. “So, job well done to the crews.”
All this was thanks to the tireless efforts of crews working 12-hour shifts and some relatively new tools in their belt.
“Our three newest pieces of equipment, they're about two years old. They're called MB5s,” Brown explained. “They have 24-foot plows on the front, 22-foot brooms in the cradle.”
The MB5s can drive 25 to 30 mph while plowing and can clear a 10,000-foot runway in 15 minutes, according to him.
“We have a fantastic crew of people a lot of aviation professionals that are very passionate about keeping this airport open,” said Brown. “They look at it as their own backyard. So, we're always prepared.”
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