The contractor responsible for snow removal across most of the Lower Mainland is asking drivers to be patient as they tend to highways affected by the winter storm.
Cloverdale-based MainRoad is contracted by the Ministry of Transportation to carry out winter maintenance services around the Lower Mainland up until Langley.
Spokesperson Darren Ell says road conditions in the Lower Mainland are under control, but it takes time for the trucks to get through to areas that need attention.
“In adverse weather conditions our guys are out there ploughing as best they can, sometimes they get stuck in traffic — you know, they can only travel at the speed of traffic,” said Ell.
“We are very proactive, in that we are usually out ahead of the storm event.”
B.C. highways have been congested as snow continues to fall. On Wednesday, a three-vehicle crash on Highway 1 near Revelstoke resulted in one fatality.
Ell said MainRoad looks at how it could improve after every storm event, and tweaks its plans annually — but it doesn’t usually bring in more plow trucks.
“Historically we’ve pinned down the amount of trucks that we need for the current conditions and specifications that we need to maintain for our contract with the Ministry of Transportation, so those numbers relatively stay the same. They don’t change a whole lot.”
While Environment Canada predicts calmer weather for Vancouver this week, there are several advisories in effect for the Fraser Valley and the Sea to Sky Highway. Up to date road conditions can be found at DriveBC.
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