Back to SearchFollowing each winter storm, the Municipality of South Huron follows standard procedures to remove snow from roads and sidewalks as quickly and efficiently as possible. Here is some key information about our winter maintenance program.
Where to go for road condition/closure Information
Provincial highway conditions, including #21 and #4, are provided by the Ministry of Transportation at www.511on.ca, on Twitter @511Ontario and over the phone by dialing 5-1-1.
Road closures and re-openings in our region are first reported by the Ontario Provincial Police using Twitter @OPP_COMM_WR.
Snow Removal
Roads are plowed and sanded/salted as soon as possible following a winter event, however, we do have priorities as to the order and frequency that they are serviced:
- Primary Routes focus on roads that carry large volumes of traffic including school areas, emergency, fire, and critical areas on hills, curves and bridges. These roads are our first priority.
- Secondary Routes include all low volume local and residential streets. Please note that these streets are NOT maintained to a bare pavement condition but are plowed and sanded/salted as necessary to provide safe vehicular travel. They are only serviced after the main routes have been cleared to an acceptable level.
Sanding and Salting
A sand and salt mixture are applied along roads early in a winter event to prevent the formation of ice forming on the road surface. This allows the plow operators to clear the streets more effectively if time and weather permits. Critical areas, such as steep hills, curves, bridges, intersections, and approaches to railway crossings receive top priority. Sand/salt mixture is not used on any roads when temperatures become so low that it can no longer effectively melt ice which is typically -8oC but is also dependent on other factors (i.e. road temperature, humidity level, etc.).
Sidewalks
Sidewalks are cleared after snow accumulation reaches 8 cm. Sidewalk clearing is generally completed within 24 hours after the end of the storm; however, when we have a heavy snowfall, or successive winter events back to back, it will take longer to clear all sidewalks.
You can help with our snow removal by clearing snow and ice from your sidewalks as soon as possible after a snowfall to ensure that they are safe for all residents. By keeping the sidewalks clear, it helps to ensure that all pedestrians, especially those using walkers, scooters and strollers, will be safe.
Owners or occupants of buildings fronting Main Street in Exeter from Gidley Street to Simcoe Street are required to clear away and remove snow and ice from the sidewalks on Main Street and snow and ice on roofs within a twenty-four (24) hour period of a snow event as per By-Law 3-2004.
What can you do to help?
- Report any slippery or dangerous road conditions to us as soon as possible at (519) 235-0310 ext. 231. We appreciate your assistance in identifying potential hazards;
- Whenever possible refrain from parking on streets during a winter storm event.
- Please do not have your vehicle extend onto the street or sidewalk;
- Please be patient. You can be sure that during a winter storm event we are exerting our maximum effort to return road conditions to a safe travelling condition. Under severe conditions, it can take considerably more time to get to all streets.
- If your street has not been plowed, please allow at least twenty-four (24) hours after the storm has stopped before calling.
Quick Facts:
- The Municipality of South Huron follows the provincially prescribed standards for winter maintenance (Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways, O. Reg. 239/02) to clear roadways, sidewalks, and parking lots in the event of a snowfall. Plowing crews are dispatched once there is approximately 8 cm of snow that has fallen. Which streets, sidewalks, and parking lots get plowed first is decided on a pre-determined level of priority.
- The Municipality of South Huron has approximately 350 km of roads and 44 km of sidewalks.
- Our winter maintenance fleet consists of 3 graders and 6 plows.
Contact(s)
Subscribe