The City of Welland’s public works staff continued to clear streets more than 24-hours after approximately 50-60 cm of snow fell.

As of Jan. 18, city crews have cleared approximately 95% of roads on their first pass. Welland has roughly 595 km of paved roads and works on a priority system when clearing streets after significant weather. Crews completed work through the night and followed maximum driving hours and mandatory rest requirements.

“I know some residents are frustrated that their road wasn’t plowed as quickly as they’d like, but our crews have been working around the clock,” said Steve Zorbas, CAO. “When this much snow falls in such a short period, it can delay things, but we are steadily making our way through the city.”

The significant snowfall, windrows, or the piles of snow left at the bottom of driveways, cannot be avoided as there is nowhere else to put the snow. Therefore, pile the snow on the right side (looking towards the street) to reduce the amount of snow pushed back into the driveway when clearing snow from a driveway.

Another action item for the City as it continues to clean up after the storm is removing high banks of snow accumulated. The primary focus is clearing the streets and ensuring roadways are widened to clear areas to avoid any remaining snow or ice rutting. Once the clean-up is complete, the City will begin snow removal in some areas.

Sidewalk clearing remains a slow process due to volume. In many cases, blower attachments are required, as it’s too much to push with the sidewalk plow. However, staff continue to work towards clearing sidewalks as quickly as possible.

If a street remains uncleared, residents can call the public works department at 905 735-1700 x 3000.