RCMP said there were a number of factors that contributed to a large number of crashes Sunday morning, as heavy snowfall hit Southern Alberta.
In Calgary, police said there were 107 crashes in and around the city from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. All of the crashes were non-life threatening.
“There was limited visibility and the road conditions also got very icy and very slick. It was likely because it was the first snowfall and also because it came on fairly suddenly and we just haven’t been used to this weather recently,” Cpl. Susan Richter said. “I just know that so many people were hitting the ditch. It was vehicle after vehicle. ”
Richter said she was aware of at least two collisions where EMS was requested, but it appears there were only minor injuries. Traffic was backed up southbound on Queen Elizabeth II north of Airdrie, as tow trucks removed the vehicles that had slid off the road.
“They were trying to get the vehicles off the road as quickly as possible and for the vehicles that were in the ditch, they were just left there to be towed when the conditions are safer and the tow trucks were just clearing the priority ones – the unmovable vehicles that are in the driving lanes,” Richter said.
Several Calgary Transit routes in Ranchlands also had to be detoured because of the weather conditions.
The City of Calgary Roads department anticipated the snowfall. On Saturday night, crews were putting an anti-icing material down to get the roads ready.
“As the snow continues to fall, we are going to keep focusing on those high-volume road, as well as into the next 24 hours and after the snow stops. From there, we move onto bus routes and connector roads and once those are done we will move into residential areas,” Brittany Kustra, spokesperson for city roads, said. “Cycle tracks in the downtown core are cleared, adjacent to those major roads. So those will be cleared within 24 hours after the snow stops. Bike lanes are considered a priority two road and those are cleared within 48 hours after the snow stops,” Kustra said.
“The annual snow budget runs from Jan. to Dec. and we haven’t seen a lot of snow over the last 11 months. So we are in really good shape this year in terms of budget. Any leftover money we have at the end of the year goes into a reserve fund that we can use at a later date if we do see a major snowfall,” Kustra said.
The city has a map with live images from traffic cameras and to see where the plows are in the city and what progress has been made.
RCMP said the city of Lethbridge experienced extremely slippery and dangerous driving conditions. Whoop-up Drive was temporarily closed due to ice, as police waited for sanding trucks to arrive late Sunday afternoon.
There were also several accidents on Bridge Drive West restricting the flow of traffic.
If travel is avoidable, police recommend that people should stay home.
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