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Snowplowing standard not being met: Letter

When can motorists expect to see snow clearing on the heaviest travelled roads? The city’s heaviest travelled roads - main (arterial) roads and secondary collector roads - are the first priority for crews to achieve the highest possible degree of saf
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Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for Sudbury and the surrounding area. File photo.
When can motorists expect to see snow clearing on the heaviest travelled roads?

The city’s heaviest travelled roads - main (arterial) roads and secondary collector roads - are the first priority for crews to achieve the highest possible degree of safety for the greatest number of motorists. These are the roads people use to get to business areas, hospitals, and in and out of the city.

Under the city’s new winter roads plan, crews provide around-the-clock coverage, seven days a week, to clear and maintain the municipality’s heaviest travelled roads.

What standards can motorists expect on arterial and collector roads?

The City of Greater Sudbury will endeavour to achieve bare to near bare pavement conditions on arterial roads and collector roads.

Salt is applied to achieve bare pavement conditions when temperatures are in the approximate range of zero to minus 12 degrees Celsius. Sand is applied when temperatures are too cold for salt to be effective. Plowing begins when total snow accumulations reach five cm (two inches).

How long will it take to clear arterial and collector roads?

Arterial roads and collector roads are divided into routes that allow operators to plow both sides of the mroad, from one end of a route to the other, within three to eight hours, depending on severity of the storm and traffic conditions.

Crews will continue to plow, salt or sand main roads until the storm has stopped or roads are clear of snow and ice. Bare to near bare pavement conditions should be reached within three to eight hours, following the end of a winter storm. Roads that require only salting or sanding for ice conditions are normally complete within two to four hours.

This is the standard for the City of Greater Sudbury, from their website. I don’t believe these standards have been met or even communicated to city crews as you were taking your life into your hands if you ventured out onto Regional Road 80 during our latest snow storm.

People still have to travel to work on snowy days and Regional Road 80 is a heavily travelled artery into and out of the city.

Why does it seem to be the last to be plowed?

Brenda DiFant
Hanmer