Compact snow and ice buildup on roadways have been causing issues along local roadways, particularly in rural areas, and the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) will seek answers.
Board Chair Rob Gay says the board will invite representatives from Mainroad East Kootenay and the Ministry of Transportation and Transit to discuss the contractor’s procedure and policies.
“The Board is going to invite both of those organizations to come and talk about their standards and – I won’t call them freak events because that’s what we’re seeing now – these large snowfalls followed by long periods of nothing for some time,” said Gay.
Mainroad operates under a system of prioritizing certain roadways first, such as arterial highways and emergency routes.
However, Gay says large snowfalls can present issues if it has plow crews focusing on priority roads and neglecting side streets.
“I live along a school bus route and the road didn’t get plowed until three days after the first big snowfall,” said Gay.
“By then, it was pounded down so much that a plow couldn’t deal with it and they had to bring a grader through.”
Gay says the region has seen years like this before.
“When we get those large snowfalls, it becomes very difficult for plow crews,” said Gay.
“It’s interesting every winter, and our goal is always public safety.”
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