January 18, 2022 – The Town of Grand Bay-Westfield remains committed to providing an efficient level of snow and ice control throughout the winter season.
Yesterday, the Town (and region) was subject to a weather event which caused abnormal road conditions. The weather event included snow, which then turned to rain. Due to the extreme cold conditions in the days leading up to this storm, the ground was still frozen, causing the rain to freeze on the roads despite the above freezing air temperature.
The service level provided by the snow control contractor (AVL) during this event was not typical and was a result of a culmination of factors. AVL has a history of providing quality service to the Town over the past 13 years.
Some of these factors included:
- Two trucks broke down in the previous storm (Friday, January 14). While repairs of this nature would typically be complete within a day or two, being the weekend, the parts would not be shipped until Monday, which was further delayed due to other winter storms across the country.
- Due to the extreme ice conditions, even the salt trucks were experiencing traction issues and two trucks were temporarily out of service until other units could assist in getting them back on the road. While this was rectified during the storm response, it resulted in significant delays in salt/sand application.
- Smaller 4×4 trucks were used to offset the out of service trucks, however, their smaller capacity meant they had to return for refilling more frequently.
- Not all types of trucks can safely be used in these rare ice conditions.
The Town acknowledges that the service level for this storm was atypical and is working with the contractor to reduce similar impacts in future storms.
The Town extends thanks to its residents for their patience and cooperation as both the Town and contractor crews work hard to keep our roads and sidewalks safe.
Residents are reminded that the snow control contractor can be contacted anytime at 738-2230.
