Worth County engineer describes blizzard response, interstate closures and efforts to limit mapping-based rerouting

County engineer Rich Broom told the Worth County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 6 that crews attempted snow-control work during a recent blizzard but pulled back when conditions made operations unsafe and that coordination with the state Department of Transportation helped manage interstate closures.

Broom said the state has contracted weather services and is working with mapping companies so that, when interstates are closed for weather, services like Google do not automatically reroute drivers onto local roads. "They're working with Google now that if there's a road closure during weather, they will not reroute and tell anybody where to go," Broom said, adding that the effort does not guarantee compliance but reduces risky reroutes onto local county roads.

He also described how the county posts road closures to its service-bureau site, which feeds into the 511 system and can be picked up by map providers. Posting on the county site and confirming timely removal are part of the county's process. Broom noted practical limits: when visibility is near zero, crews should not be sent out because they cannot see better than other drivers and risks of vehicles getting stuck or damaging equipment increase.

Supervisors raised concerns about tow-company availability, emergency access and detours (including traffic diverting onto US-65) and thanked staff for using social media to notify the public. Broom said he will update Title VI assurances and follow up with detailed paperwork for the supervisors before the next meeting.

The board asked staff to continue coordination with the state and to ensure closure postings appear on 511 and mapping platforms so drivers receive accurate routing information.