The following road condition update has been provided by staff:
We have taken a number of calls from residents regarding the condition of some roadways after the last storm event. The storm dropped snow, freezing rain, ice pellets in what had to be one of the more severe events of this winter season. On local streets, this mixture led to the accumulation being frozen in place before it could be cleared by contractor-operated graders. The severe rutting of the snow packed surface makes travel uncomfortable but all roadways remain traversable. While most calls received are from residents in the south end, I assure Council the condition exists throughout the City.
Normally this situation can be addressed by the application of salt (to de-ice the roadway) followed by a re-plowing of the roadways. Unfortunately, the outside temperature fell shortly after the event making salt ineffective as a de-icing agent. With the -15 to -20 temperatures experienced over the past few days, there is little that could be done to address this issue. However, temperatures are rising and staff have had opportunity to apply salt on most local streets. Residents should see some improvement of the road surface condition over the next few days. Of timely significance, we are experiencing yet another winter storm. In the event we require another City-wide plow-out, the end result should be a much smoother surface as a result of this material being in place.
This situation is a good opportunity to bring to Council’s attention the significance between the different classification of city streets. On streets (arterials, bus routes, high priority sand routes) undertaken by City staff, we have bare roadway surfaces, which is the ultimate objective of the service. These roadways/routes are interspersed throughout the city and their bare condition stands in stark contrast to local roadways. The different classifications (and the reasons for them) are not always evident to residents, hence the “my street wasn’t done” concern.
We will continue to do what is possible to address this situation. Staff