Dozens of Halifax streets still icy and rutted as winter rolls on

HALIFAX – Driving on some side streets in Halifax might feel a little like off-roading lately as many areas are still ice-packed and deeply rutted.

Shanna Hodder has had a tough time navigating around the many ruts along Maynard Street –in one spot her tires spun, and in another, her front bumper hit the end of rut as she tried to drive through it.

“This is a lot worse than most of them,” she said. “A lot of side streets are still a little rough, but that was probably one of the worst.”

READ MORE: Snowfall amounts add up as brutal Atlantic Canadian winter continues

Sandra MacDonnell said before Monday night, Columbus Place could have been a contender for worst street in Halifax because the ruts there were 11 inches deep.

“I have been up and down this road every day for the last four and a half weeks with my parents, and my car has been stuck and had to be pushed out four times,” she said.

MacDonnell said she called the city’s 311 service three weeks ago to complain about the road conditions, and emailed her city councillor about it last week. She said it wasn’t until Monday night when the street was finally cleared.

“I know it was an extraordinary winter, but I didn’t see a lot of intervention,” she said. “I didn’t see any as a matter of fact on some streets.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I know it was an extraordinary winter, but I didn't see a lot of intervention," she said. "I didn't see any as a matter of fact on some streets."

According to Darrin Natolino, Halifax’s superintendent of winter works, there are 50 to 100 side streets that still require attention around the city.

“We do have a lot of stakeholders and everyone has an opinion about what the worst is. That’s really one of our challenges, just prioritizing,” he said, adding many elements are involved in setting priorities.

The city said bad road conditions have also affected services such as garbage, recyclable, and organics collection.

“The trucks aren’t able to drive over the deeply rutted and potholed ice on some of the side streets,” said city spokesperson Jennifer Stairs. She added there have been more missed services this winter than last year.

“I don’t remember this being as much of an issue last year because it was more snow and we were able to clear the streets,” she said.

When a collection is missed, Stairs said residents should try again the following day because trucks do try to return to see if conditions improved. She said residents can also call 311 to report any missed collections.