You know what it’s like: just when you thought you were done with shovelling your driveway for the day, Mother Nature shows up with another dump of snow and off you go again.
Now, imagine trying to clear that snow from about 500 kilometres of roads. The Town of Huntsville’s Roads Department has a big task every time there’s new snow or, as happened more than usual this year, freezing rain.
“It’s been a difficult year with the temperature swings that we’ve had,” says Ross Fisher, Road Foreman for the Town. “There’s lots of ice build-up and the roads are rough. We remove as much as we can while trying to keep the banks winged back, too.” Municipalities across the province have found it challenging to keep snow and ice build-up to a minimum thanks to the weird weather and Huntsville is no different – the Town has even enlisted help with two extra contracted graders this winter.
“With these melt and freeze cycles, the ice just builds up and we can only do so much to remove it before we need to move on to other roads,” says Fisher. “We try to keep it fair for all residents.”
There are priority routes, of course – those near schools or the hospital, or ones with steep grades receive attention first, but crews also react depending on how much snow or ice there is on the roads and how much is forecast to come. Roads staff monitor the weather around the clock and the department’s single shift of workers plow every street at least once during their 12-hour shifts. In bad weather, they could be back on the road just 10 hours later.
It can require some patience for drivers – you won’t be able to predict when a plow will come by to clear your road but know that they are out there and making their way to you. Just remember to slow down, drive according to conditions and leave a little earlier on snowy or icy days.
With road conditions also affecting curbside garbage and recycling pick up, roads crews have been working hand-in-hand with the District in recent weeks to co-ordinate plow runs with the garbage routes.
“We’re communicating with them to let them know where we start our runs so we can work in tandem – if they can follow routes that are already plowed and sanded it will be easier for them to get around. We’re trying to get more sand laid down to help them out,” says Fisher.
You can help make road clearing go a little bit smoother, too:
- Give plows and sanders room. They make frequent stops and may back up to move to another part of their route.
- Don’t park your vehicle on the street overnight. Vehicles that interfere with snow removal will be towed with the owner responsible for the sizable towing fee.
- Keep your distance – the best place to be on a snowy road is behind a plow; the road ahead will be in worse condition – and move around when the driver motions for you to go ahead. A good rule of thumb: if you can’t see the driver in his mirrors, he can’t see you either.
- Mark your garbage bins or mailboxes, particularly if you are a seasonal resident, so that they aren’t damaged by a passing plow. If they’re buried in the snow, the driver can’t see them. Remember to keep garbage and recycling off of sidewalks on garbage collection day so that sidewalk plows can get through.
When you encounter any of the Public Works fleet, remember to go slow, be patient, and stay safe. And if you have any Public Works concerns, contact the Town’s Customer Service Desk at 705-789-1751 or on the second floor of Town Hall.
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