New technology this winter helped the Boone County Public Works Department fine-tune its efforts to keep roads clear of snow and ice, but it remains unclear just how much money the system might save.

This weather tower at Highway 63 and Route F is one of three the county relied upon last winter to transmit data that helped county crews decide where to concentrate road-clearing efforts. Though county officials believe the towers helped, the severity of the winter made it difficult to determine how much money they might have saved. Don Shrubshell photo

The county for the first time relied on a trio of weather towers to provide data on wind, humidity, precipitation, pavement temperature and subsurface temperature. The data, which is transmitted to the Missouri Department of Transportation and accessible to Boone County, helps road crews choose the proper mix of chemicals and strategies for combating snow and ice.

"The whole purpose behind it is to save the material cost," county road maintenance manager Greg Edington said.

MoDOT installed three stations last year in northern, southern and western Boone County at a cost of $155,000. Boone County commissioners in 1999 signed on for the project and agreed to reimburse the state up to one-third of the cost.

The towers are at Highway 63 and Route F, Highway 63 and Westbrook Drive and the Roche- port Missouri River bridge.

Edington said the system has saved the county manpower. In past years, staff members would travel around the county testing road temperatures by shooting a thermal gun into the ground. The new system eliminates that need, allowing managers to make decisions at headquarters.

"The key is the pavement temperature," MoDOT spokesman Bill Stone said.

The severity of this past winter, however, makes it difficult to determine how well the system worked. The county this winter spent about $85,000 on chemicals to melt ice and snow - such as salt and salt brine - compared to $45,000 a year ago.

"It has taken a toll on us," Edington said of the cold and snow. Still, he said, the system definitely prevented crews from spreading chemicals on roads that didn’t need it.

Presiding commissioner Don Stamper said the county got a lot of positive feedback for its road maintenance this winter.

Kansas City and St. Louis have used similar technology for years, Stone said, adding that while no plan is in place, MoDOT is interested in developing a statewide system. "Ultimately, we would have local forecast services in each district and information be provided to drivers."

The system remains experimental in Boone County. "We’re just getting our feet wet," Edington said. "We take baby steps first."