Montreal will focus on warming temperatures expected this weekend to de-ice its sidewalks, the City fearing that the use of its machinery does not accentuate the problem of potholes.
Despite snow drifts and the presence of ice on some sidewalks, the City of Montreal has decided not to proceed with a snow removal operation. “A load of snow will not be decreed. The amount of snowfall does not justify it, “confirms Jean-François Parenteau, elected responsible for snow removal at the City.
The strong variations of the temperature known in recent days have also made the operation too risky.
“If you come with a guitar, you risk tearing the road. There has been so much freeze-thaw that it’s hard to remove. Paving was damaged and by the end of the week we would have had more potholes. ”
The pavement is actually inflated because of the water infiltrated into the ground and having frozen. Using machinery to remove the ice cover could damage the asphalt.
In the meantime, the City says it has done several spreads of abrasives to make the sidewalks less slippery, but that the strong temperature variations complicate this work. “When you get 30 cm of snow, it takes a long time to remove, but what you have to do is clear. Here, the temperature goes up and down, so you have to constantly change abrasive blends, “says Parenteau.
“If we asked citizens if we should take everything away, everyone would say yes. But you have to look at the damage and the costs, it’s a question of management, “says Parenteau.
In fact, a snow removal operation costs an average of $ 1 million per rounding. Already, winter is going to be expensive. Since the arrival of the snow, the City of Montreal has carried out four snow removal operations. The snow budget of 160 million allows to make five per winter. So we’re crossing our fingers to the City so that the precipitation is not too high in the next two months.
Despite the presence of ice on the sidewalks, hospitals do not report an increase in the number of injuries. However, Urgences-santé indicates that its paramedics sometimes have to de-ice the entrance to residences where they are called before transporting patients.