Plowing may take longer

Kansas Department of Transportation is warning that, when winter gets here, roads could remain snowy and icy for longer times because of a employee shortage.

The number of snow plow operators is down.

The agency is working to hire permanent and seasonal employees and in the meantime will shift crews to affected areas when possible.

All employees who have commercial driver’s licenses will plow snow, and KDOT is helping selected applicants get CDLs after they are hired.

“It’s not a matter of if the highways will be cleared this winter, but when,” transportation secretary Julie Lorenz said. “Having fewer employees could cause delays in removing snow and ice from all the affected roadways.”