City promises streets will be clear soon

WINNIPEG — The city says it is working to clear the icy ridges off Winnipeg streets that have made driving difficult recently and that many blame for a rash of minor accidents.

A long-awaited warm spell this week will make it much easier for plows to finish their work, the mayor and civic officials said Wednesday during a media update on snow-clearing operations.

“Crews are working full out to complete plowing in all zones of the city,” Mayor Sam Katz is quoted saying in a news release. “At the same time, we are working to clear sidewalks and remove the large piles of snow from around intersections. Extreme cold and snow conditions have made the snow-clearing operations especially challenging, and we are asking the public’s patience as we make every effort to complete the work as quickly as possible.”

City officials said snow removal efforts continuing throughout the city include:

Streets:

• Ongoing work on the P1 (regional routes) network nightly to address ridges and remove stockpiles at intersections.
• Sanding operations on the P1 and P2 (bus/collector) networks continue around the clock.
• P3 (residential) plowing cycles as per the Know Your Zone schedule are complete and currently addressing missed locations system wide.

Sidewalks:

• P1 and P2 sidewalk-clearing operations are underway.
• Due to conditions, sidewalks are being cleared with blowers rather than plows.

As more equipment becomes available, crews will continue working at night to scrape away the ridges on larger streets, officials said. It can’t be done during the day when there is heavy traffic, the said.

Residential streets that were missed are supposed to be plowed by Saturday; plowing on major streets should be finished on Monday. Sidewalks in residential areas could take a full week to clear.