Watch CBS News

Coronavirus In Pittsburgh: Looming Weather Has PennDOT 'Nervous' After Maintenance Field Staff Layoffs

ALLEGHENY COUNTY (KDKA) -- The high winds and chilling forecast ahead could not have come at a worse time for PennDOT.

On Friday, PennDOT put most of its county maintenance field staff on leave without pay, effective Monday.

CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:

While some workers took leave and others were laid off.

District 11 Executive Cheryl Moon-Sirianni says, "Unfortunately, our maintenance field staff is only at about 28 percent right now working in the field."

Those are the workers you see in the yellow trucks who patch potholes, clear drainage inlets, handle landslides and trees that come down in high winds. And, of course, salt the roads when needed.

"The weather really makes me nervous. ... The potential for snow the middle and the end of this week. So we are very concerned having a lesser workforce when all this is happening," Moon-Sirianni said.

Moon-Sirianni has the authority to recall the workers if needed. As to how quickly they could get back behind the wheel of a salt truck?

"They probably aren't sitting by the phones like they normally would be. So we hope they watch the news and when our folks call and say we might need you in a few hours, they are at the ready," Moon-Sirianni said.

She's hopeful that they could get workers out, addressing the problems within a couple of hours.

But until the coronavirus crisis is over, when the weather is not a concern, Moon-Sirianni says, "We have skeletal crews to attack only the critical needs that we see."

This means issues like paving roads, filling smaller potholes, litter, and other more minor issues will have to wait.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.