Feb.25, 2004

Halifax snow clearing crews will be focussing on clean-up in the downtown business district, on arterial/collector roads and major bus routes.

Clearing operations in most of these areas require mechanical loading (by industrial snow blower or front end loader) of snow into trucks and transporting it to the harbour for dumping. The process is time-consuming and can only be safely carried out at night and overnight when traffic has cleared.

Some of the main tasks are to finish clearing the downtown district, widening main arterial/connector roads (i.e Bayers Road, Quinpool Road, Bell Road, Barrington Street etc. in Halifax and Main Street, Portland Street, section of Waverley Road, section of Caldwell Road, Pleasant Street, Alderney Drive and Cole Harbour Road in Dartmouth). Progress will be determined by the number of vehicles (parked or mobile) that crews encounter.

Motorists and pedestrians are again urged to remain off the streets to better enable the snow clearing operations to proceed at a faster pace. Motorists are reminded that the Winter Overnight Parking ban (1 a.m. to 7 a.m.) remains in effect. In addition, Section 139 of the Motor Vehicle Act states that any vehicle parked in such a manner as to impede traffic or obstruct snow/ice clearing operations will be ticketed and towed.

Transit--Full transit, ferry and access-a-bus service has been restored. However, HRM is continuing to urge motorists to car pool or use public transit in order to keep as many vehicles as possible off the streets/roads, to better allow snow clearing crews to plow and widen roads.