Spring may be coming, but for one city councillor, it’s not approaching fast enough to melt many snow piles that have turned some two-way streets into one-way thoroughfares.
Coun. Dawn Luhning raised the issue of excess snow piles during the recent city council meeting. She noted that there are numerous ridges along Athabasca Street West from Main Street to Eighth Avenue Northwest. That road is also a bus route and has become almost a one-way street.
She wondered when city administration planned to remove those piles from city streets.
“It probably won’t happen because spring is (almost) here and the melt will happen,” Luhning said. “… that street is bad enough in the summer, but now with piles of snow and all the ruts, you get caught and you can’t move over for buses.”
City hall has been removing snow from selected routes throughout the community for a few weeks, said Darrin Stephanson, director of public works and utilities.
While his department will review Luhning’s concern, the city’s snow policy doesn’t call for hauling on any of the four priority routes, he added. Instead, it encourages road reviews to ensure they’re driveable and that the municipality has enough storage for future snow hauls.
A hole in the ditch
Coun. Jamey Logan inquired about a hole in the ditch on Ninth Avenue Northwest adjacent to the Alliance Church where a water pipe is sticking out. He noted that he saw someone walking on the shoulder of the road recently and thought that was dangerous.
City administration discussed that area recently and is aware of the concern, said Stephanson. That is a water main project where a dead-end water connection needs to be connected to the east. The municipality expects to start that project after the frost thaws in the spring.
“However, we did talk about the barricades and (we will work) to re-fortify (that spot) and make it safe for citizens,” he added.
The next regular council meeting is Monday, Feb. 27.
