Road maintenance crews, province preparing for incoming snowfall
Posted January 15, 2024 6:02 pm.
Last Updated January 15, 2024 6:03 pm.
Preparations are underway for what could be a significant snowfall beginning Tuesday night.
At this point, it’s unclear how much snow will fall, but Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement saying significant snowfall is likely.
The weather agency is also warning of a chance of freezing rain in areas near the United States border.
Darren Ell, general manager of Mainroad Lower Mainland Contracting, says his crews are preparing for the weather by applying anti-icing brine, salting, and preparing their plows.
“If we start having a build up of ice on the road, we’ll be using winter sand, which is coarser and gives better traction,” Ell said.
Ell says his snow removal crews and equipment are ready to go, but in order to do their job effectively, they need other drivers to give them space. That includes not trying to pass plows or salt trucks on the right side, he adds.
“A year or two ago we had three people pass and all three of them spun out and hit our truck,” Ell said.
“It’s dangerous for the people driving and trying to pass, it’s dangerous for our driver, as well as the potential for taking our truck out of action. If it damages it enough we have to park it and repair it.”
Meanwhile, the province is also urging people to avoid travelling by vehicle Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning.
In a statement issued Monday evening, the province’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure says its maintenance crews are preparing for the weather in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island.
It adds that bridges and roads may be closed to traffic for safety if the weather requires it.
Cable collar systems — which are used to clear snow and ice — on the Port Mann and Alex Fraser bridges will be operated, if neccessary, and Vancouver Island’s Highway 1/Malahat chain up protocol will be implemented at 2 p.m. on Tuesday until otherwise stated.
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