Coaldale Snow Removal Routes updated

Posted on October 17, 2024 by Sunny South News

By Nikki Jamieson
Sunny South News

Recent development in Coaldale has led to updates for the town’s snow removal policy.

Policy MSOD-003, or the Snow Removal Policy, lays out the different processes for snow events, snow removal, plowing, and sanding within the town’s boundaries. Terry May, director of operations for the town, said during Coaldale town council’s regular Oct. 7 meeting, that as there had been recent developments in north Coaldale, in particular the new Prairie Winds Secondary Shool and Shift Community Recreation Center, they needed to accommodate that growth in the policy.

Overall, the proposed changes would add an additional 2.3 kms of roadway to an overall of 34.9 kms covered by the policy. Both roadway additions are to be maintained with the snow plow for this winter, and as the town grows its residential and commercial neighborhoods, further changes will need to be made to accommodate that growth. 

Some additions to the policy include:

• The addition of a Priority 2 snow route on 16 Avenue from the Picnic Shelter to 26 Street and 26 Street from 16th Avenue to 18 Avenue. 

• The addition of a Priority 3 snow route addition to 12 Avenue from 13 Street to 20 Street, or Highway 845.

• The additions of Priority Sanding additions going from the intersection at 17 Street and 22 Avenue, the intersection of 17 Street and 23 Avenue, the intersection of 16 Avenue and 26 Street, the intersection of 18 Avenue and 26 Street, and the intersection of 12 Avenue and 20 Street, or Highway 845.

• Updating the maps to incorporate updated traffic signage changes.

• The addition of the sidewalk pathway map.

When asked by Coun. Dale Pickering how much it would cost to maintain the additional routes, May said based on “good averages”, it would be about $3,000 per km of roadway they’re doing snow removal on. However, because there weren’t homes on the sides of those roads, there wasn’t a direct cost currently.

“Because it’s all open sides, (ditches where) we can push snow, this is all going to come from the snow plow, for both these sections of road,” said May. “As far as direct cost here, it would just be a little bit of time of the operator to redirect there first before finishing up on the other routes in town.”

Pickering also asked why an additional half block around Jenny Emery Elementary School wasn’t added, which May said that section of road was currently drainage, and posed issues regarding snow removal and conflicts with other school openings.

“The moment we add more to what we’re hitting before that, then our whole, our ability to get to schools ahead of them and get out of the way before they open up is a little bit of a challenge,” said May. “If we add extra roadway prior to, all the way up to St. Joes, we’re not going to be able to get them before the school rush is there.”

Council unanimously passed a motion to approve the additions to snow removal on 16 Avenue, 26 Street and 12 Avenue as set out in the updated Snow Removal Policy MSOD-003.