Winter Long Gone, But Cost Of Clean Up Still Lingers
By David Madden
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- With spring in the air, you've probably all but forgotten that horrid winter we just endured around here. One reminder still lingers, the cost of cleanup.
In New Jersey, the numbers are enough to take your breath away.
Transportation Department spokesman Steve Schapiro says, "The state spent a staggering $138 million to keep the roads clear, and that's about the same as what we spent the previous 3 seasons combined."
And that's just for state highways.
Toll roads aren't included in that number. You can add another $44 million for them. In fact, some think the total cleanup bill for the state, including county and municipal roads, could get near a half billion dollars.
Before you ask, those numbers only cover snow removal and don't include what it costs to fix all the potholes left behind.