Residential snow clear would cost $1.5M per storm

By COLLIN GALLANT on January 20, 2023.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

Adding residential road clearing to the snow removal operations could cost an additional $1.5 million per snow storm and take 43 days of around-the-clock operations, city administrators said Thursday.

That’s assuming the current mix of city and contracted staff and equipment, as well as no new snow in the meantime.

“It is a question that arises every year,” Pat Bohan, director of city surface assets (roads), told council’s utility and infrastructure committee on Thursday.

“It’s not an argument for or against, but that’s what it would cost.”

Heavy snow before Christmas has lingered in Medicine Hat, becoming packed and rutted in a freeze-thaw cycle and even freezing rain, Bohan said.

That provides operational challenges as well as frustration for motorists.

Adding residential road clearing however, could require a major increase to the roads maintenance budget. The entire department’s budget was $15 million in 2022.

The rough estimate is based on recent work to clear major accumulation from Ross Glen Drive in the city’s southeast.

The lanes were cleared over a 14-hour span by city crews and contractors. They hauled 200 loads of ice and snow out of the area at a cost of $20,000.

Bohan said the stretch comprised four kilometres of lanes.

The city has 295 kilometres of roadway that is similar, and based on per kilometre rates of $5,000, three hours and 50 loads, the price would be prohibitive.

With that volume of snow, he added, the city would also be required to build a new snow dump at an estimated cost of $7.5 million.

The city’s current plan, said Bohan, is to concentrate on priority routes – high traffic arteries, hills and school zones – then secondary routes in the day after a blizzard, and leave residential streets to warmer weather.

“We do have periodic melting from chinooks,” said Bohan.

Councillors accepted the information, with chair Coun. Alison Van Dyke requesting the figures be provided to communications staff and councillors, who often field questions about snow clearing.

“Crews do their best to ensure that roads are safe,” said division head Brad Maynes.