Crews working to get highways safe for travel, city landfill operations resume
By Medicine Hat News on October 3, 2017.
Motorists in the region were greeted with covered, but generally passable, road conditions on Tuesday, one day after a heavy dump of snow shut down travel in southeastern Alberta. A mid-morning accident on the Trans-Canada at Highway 524, west of Redcliff, however, stopped traffic again, with authorities estimating an three hour delay. They suggest avoid the area or using alternate routes. Drivers in Montana and rural power customers north of Taber were also hampered getting back on track after an early blizzard blanketted the region. Operations for the city of Medicine Hat’s roads, utility and sanitation departments also returned to relative normal on Tuesday. The Medicine Hat landfill was set to reopened at 8 a.m. after a power failure caused its closure on Monday. Collection in Zone 4 of the city was not completed due to heavy, wet snow, and the department now says it will begin today in Zone 5 as scheduled to get back on track. A high of 4 C is expected on Tuesday, rising to an forecast high of 11 C on Wednesday. Environment Canada states that total precipitation for Monday totalled 29.5 mm of water, a little more than one inch. Snow volume is generally calculated at 10 to 1, meaning an estimated 10 inches of snow fell locally. Fortis Alberta reported early Tuesday that customers remained without power over night as weather in the region south of Brooks was too treacherous for dispatching crews. The company promised an update for customers on Tuesday afternoon. The Trans-Canada Highway in both directions from Medicine Hat reopened in the early morning. On Monday, RCMP closed sections and told motorists to seek shelter in communities along the route. By 9 a.m. on Tuesday, most major highways were open and clear and said to feature winter driving conditions.Travel is not recommended on a number of highways including:
— Highway 3, from Seven Persons to Bow Island;
— Highway 61, from Manyberries to Raymond;
— Highway 36, from Taber to Scandia 11
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