The West Deer Township Public Works Department, with a staff of eight, averages 20 years of experience. Pictured with their equipment after completing a salting pass over 130 miles of roads, are from left to right: Dan Loughlin, Gary Parrish, Mike Funk, Fred Reekie, Kevin Olar, Jeff Florentine, John Yourish and Wade Myers.

Staffed of eight, the West Deer Public Works Department, average more than 20 years of experience maintaining the community’s road ways.

Equipped with eight trucks, seven of which are used for salting and plowing while an eighth truck in the fleet is used for plowing only during heavy snow accumulations. Crews have the Township broken up into 7 routes for salting and plowing.

Assistance is also provided to the Deer Lakes School District in the form of salt during winter months and some equipment and personnel when grading or a minimal amount of heavy equipment is required for projects.

Snow Plowing

When the snow starts to fall, the Public Works Department activates its Snow and Ice Removal Plan.  Exactly what happens under the plan depends on the amount of precipitation that has fallen, what's predicted to fall, the temperature, the expected duration of the storm, and moisture content.

Both plowing and salt-spreading operations help control winter road hazards, with Township crews spreading more salt at intersections and around curves.  The effectiveness of salt depends on traffic volume, pavement type (concrete or asphalt), shade patterns and temperature.  Salt is less effective when the temperature dips to 25 degrees (F) and may have no effect at all in very cold temperatures.

Not all roads within the Township are maintained by the Public Works Department.  Questions about certain highways should be directed to the agencies responsible:

• For Russellton-Airport Road, Creighton-Russellton Road, Bakerstown-Culmerville Road, Millerstown-Culmerville Road, Armstrong Road, Saxonburg Boulevard, Deer Creek Road, Campbell Road, State Route 910 (Gibsonia Road) and State Route 908, contact Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PENNDOT), District 11 Office, 1-888-783-6783 
• For Bailey’s Run Road, contact Allegheny County Department of Public Works, (412) 350-4005

Snow Reminders

• Please do not shovel or plow snow and/or ice into any Township street, onto any public sidewalk, or obstruct any fire hydrants.
• Please remind children playing in the snow or building snow forts, snowmen, etc., to stay well away from the street.
• There is no on-street parking permitted in West Deer Township.  This is especially important to remember when snow accumulates and crews are clearing the roadways.