DDOT: Curb-to-curb blacktop unlikely this storm; plow‑tracking data showing inaccuracies

DC reviews snow cleanup efforts

District Department of Transportation Director Sharon Kershbaum outlines the city’s ongoing snow removal work following the weekend winter storm.

WASHINGTON - District Department of Transportation Director Sharon Kershbaum says residents shouldn’t expect curb‑to‑curb blacktop as crews continue clearing the snowstorm that hit Washington, D.C., over the weekend, citing unusually difficult conditions.

What we know:

Kershbaum said heavy, stubborn ice remains the biggest obstacle, especially on narrow, car‑lined streets. With no warmup to help melt snow, she said the city has been forced to haul it away rather than wait for natural thawing. Plows have struggled to break through the ice, requiring Bobcat crews to chip and remove it.

Most streets now show blacktop or at least tire‑tread‑wide paths, she said. "While there are roads that still have a lot of snow on them, our goal is to make sure that you have at least tire treads and hopefully about a plow length or more to be able to navigate and get through it" she said. "If people are looking for curb-to-curb blacktop, that's not going to happen this storm."

Kershbaum also said the District’s plow‑tracking data has been unreliable because many contracted plows lack tracking devices and may only be salting rather than plowing.

What they're saying:

"We don't use our plow tracker because we have a bunch of contracted plows that actually don't have devices on them," she told FOX 5. "The plow trackers show that a plow came through. But if it's all ice, they might just be salting, and so it looks like nothing happened, but they were really doing that preparation for the next round."

"We're now really getting eyes on all the blocks and looking at pavement condition and not using plows coming through as an indicator of condition," she added.

Kershbaum said DDOT crews remain on 24‑hour operations, with major arterials, downtown routes, freeways and bridges seeing caravans of trucks hauling snow to keep roads passable. "I know it's going to be disruptive if you pass it, but it makes a huge difference. Otherwise, the snow is just going to stay there."