Guelph’s snow removal crews are wrapping up their work following Monday’s winter storm that dropped nearly 30 centimetres of snow in the city.
In an interview on Thursday, the city’s manager of public works Terry Dooling said every street has been plowed at least once and the city’s sidewalks should be completed by 3 p.m. that afternoon.
Dooling said a storm like Monday’s doesn’t happen very often.
“I would say this one is probably the first one we’ve had — to this degree of accumulation — in probably seven to 10 years. That’s not based on any historical research, but just from what I recall,” he said.
The city has a fleet of 12 snow plows, 15 salt trucks and as many as 18 sidewalk plows.
Dooling said for this storm, all hands were on deck with crews working around the clock before, during and after the storm.
“The amount of snow was tiring. You have to get into the plows to appreciate that kind of work but it can be very challenging to keep the truck on the road and keep it straight with that heaviest snowfall,” he said.
Dooling said, for the most part, the work is nearly done, but there are some spots that still need to be plowed and some cul-de-sacs that need to be tidied up.
Residents can fill out a service request form on the city’s website if they think their street needs some extra work.
Crews also need to remove snow from the downtown core. That work is being done overnight, beginning on Thursday at 11 p.m. and again on Monday, starting at 11 p.m.
The city is asking drivers to not park their cars on the street while the work is going on downtown. Municipal lots such as the Macdonell Street parking lot, the Market Parkade and the West Parkade are free from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m.
It might also be noisy overnight while crews work, but the city said it appreciates patience and understanding from residents.
Comments