There are 23 units currently clearing and sanding roadways in the city. Efforts are focused on hillside and Priority 3 routes, but crews are returning to Priority 1 and Priority 2 routes for sanding as needed. Priority 1 roads are large arterials like Gordon Drive and Rutland Road, Priority 2 routes include collector roads with steep hills, sharp curves, school zones, emergency vehicle stations and transit routes, and Priority 3 routes are local and residential roads. We expect to complete residential road clearing by Thursday afternoon.
“We’ve spread 1,500 metric tonnes of sand in the last 36 hours,” said Roadways Operations Manager Andrew Schwerdtfeger. “As residential snow clearing continues, we need to regularly return to the busier roadways to sand them as vehicle traffic compresses the snow and polishes it so it becomes slippery.”
Other ongoing snow and ice control efforts include:
City crews have begun collecting snow in the middle of roads in Kelowna’s urban centres to ensure there is room in parking and curbside areas ahead of more snow forecast for Thursday and Friday. City crews are scheduled to work 24/7 through the holidays in anticipation of this additional snowfall.
Twenty-four hours have passed since a snow advisory was declared in Kelowna and parking bans remain active in snow route areas, including Academy Way, Black Mountain, Clifton/Magic Estates/Wilden, Dilworth Mountain, Kirschner Mountain, McKinley Beach and areas in the South Mission, including The Ponds.
For more information about snow removal and priority routes, please visit kelowna.ca/snow.