CALGARY- The blast of winter weather has resulted in difficult driving conditions across the city and the across the country, from Ontario to BC.
Environment Canada issued many weather warnings, watches and special weather statements for much of Canada on Friday and some of them remained in effect Saturday.
Every province except P.E.I. has a weather warning as of 4 p.m. Saturday.
As for Calgarians, one after another, unsuspecting drivers fall victim to the ramp from Crowchild Trail onto 16th avenue.
“Cold and very very slippery. That piece of road is like glass. If you’re not moving when you hit it, you’re not going up,” one driver said.
This ramp was one of many across the city that proved to be hazardous for drivers. Several crashes occurred on the calf robe bridge as well.
Traffic was tied on up Glenmore Trail in both directions as vehicles slid into guardrails.
“Crews are out applying pickle to priority one routes. So pickle is a salt and gravel mixture that can help with traction and they are putting it down on those priority one rootes which are commuter roads and major roads like Crowchild Trail on Macleod Trail and things like that.”
The nasty road conditions though, have a way a bringing out the best in Calgarians.
“I was helping a lady out she was in a minivan stuck. It took us about 20 sets of the traction plates to get her out.”
Brent Anderson swears by the traction plates he keeps in his vehicle. He says they allowed him to help ten people in one particularly bad day last year.
“Very useful. The better ones are the foldout metal ones,” Anderson said.
“I have the two, the plastic and the metal. The metal ones have teeth on the bottom runs, on the top and you can just put them out and it helps people get out. It only goes a few feet but a few feet each time and we got her out.”
The city says ramps are challenging for crews which are trying to provide as much traction as possible.
“Actually have one of our contracted crews out today and they are responsible for all our trouble spots and that’s what they will be paying attention to today. They will be going to identified hills, ramps and bridge decks that are typically troublesome,” Jessica Bell from the City of Calgary said.
The cold weather is also making life that much more difficult for the city’s less fortunate.
Finding a place to stay and getting proper winter clothing is a bigger concern than road conditions.
Some are relying on the kindness of strangers while they struggle with the elements.
The weather warnings for the province include areas in central east Alberta. A period of very cold wind chills is expected.
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