Topeka ? Kansas Department of Transportation officials say the loss of 152 employees to early retirement could make it more difficult to battle large snowstorms this winter.

The department lost the second-highest number of employees to the retirement program. It has received permission to fill about 36 positions and will consider using temporary employees.

Jerry Younger, deputy transportation secretary, tells The Topeka Capital-Journal that it might be difficult to find enough drivers for snowplows if a blizzard strikes a big area of Kansas. He says basic highway maintenance also has been affected by the employee losses.

The Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services lost the most employees, when 344 agency people took early retirement. SRS Secretary Robert Siedlecki said his agency’s work will not suffer because of the retirements.