Ice still a problem on side streets - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

More than a week since the mini-blizzard dumped over half a foot of snow or more on central Indiana streets and roads, areas are still slick and some are even more hazardous than they were when the snow first fell.

Now a week's worth of traffic has compacted that snow on many unplowed side streets so it's now a sheet of ice. Even walking on those streets is difficult, let alone driving.

We found ice-covered streets all over the downtown area. If you only travel the main roads, you may be wondering what we're talking about. But if you venture into the residential streets, you'll likely find a driving challenge.

While some drivers think the conditions are horrible, others take the ice in stride as part of winter.

The Department of Public Works called in private contractors to plow the side streets to the point that they're passable.  But they don't, as a rule, salt those side streets to melt all the ice.  The reason is money.

DPW has a $8.4-million snow budget for this winter.  Thus far, they have burned through $2.4-million, with $1-million of that figure to pay for salt.

With at least two more months of winter, the next best hope for some streets to thaw is a rising thermometer.