Montreal starts to repair potholes as snow clearing enters final stage
76% of snow removed from Montreal streets as of Wednesday morning
As Montreal enters the home stretch of its snow-clearing operation after two major snowstorms, it is also beginning to fix potholes, but at a slower pace than usual.
About three-quarters of the snow has been removed from the streets, city spokesperson Philippe Sabourin said Wednesday. To achieve these results, he says, the city increased its fleet of transport trucks by 30 per cent.
He said city staff has been removing the equivalent of half a winter's worth of snow — around six million cubic metres.
But precipitation could slow down these efforts.
"If there's a significant accumulation before the end of the operation, we'll have to suspend it temporarily to pack in the new snow," said Sabourin, adding that beyond 2.5 centimetres of rain could delay the work. "But we'll adapt; we're agile enough to do it."
While snowplows are still clearing the snow, Sabourin emphasized the importance of respecting garbage collection times.
"If it's scheduled for 7 a.m., don't put them out the night before. We need space to work," he said.
He says the progress of garbage collection across the city is fluctuating, with some boroughs like Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie being more advanced than others, such as Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve.
"The important thing is to clear the snowbanks," said Sabourin. "Put the garbage away, it can't be on the snowbank, it'll break equipment and slow us down."
Slow pothole operation underway
Because the teams that clear the snow are the same ones that fix the roads, the number of staff assigned to pothole repairs is smaller.
Sabourin explained that approximately 150,000 truck trips are required to clear the snow, causing significant damage to the roads. Additionally, fluctuating weather conditions don't help either.
On Wednesday morning, the city deployed eight Python 5000 trucks, which have the capacity to fill up to 300 potholes a day. The special operation will focus on the worst and deepest craters.
If in two weeks some potholes are not fixed, Sabourin encourages Montrealers to dial 311 or to use the application Montréal – Services aux citoyens to report them.
"Until it's safe, drive more slowly and be extremely vigilant," he said.
The snow-removal operation is expected to last another five days, including Wednesday.
"There's no one we're going to leave behind. But what we would ask of you for the last mile is to stick together. Show solidarity and mutual aid," he said.
"We will be there until the last snowbank."
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With files from CBC's Rowan Kennedy