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Snow plow operators work around the clock to treat Cochrane's roads

“On all of routes down to bare asphalt is what our goal is,” Gibbons said. “We’re not out trying to ruin your day by plowing in your driveway … We just want to get the roads plowed and not make too much of a mess.”
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The Town of Cochrane road crew shows of a snow plow on Friday, (Feb. 12). (Chelsea Kemp/The Cochrane Eagle)

COCHRANE— Whether it is -40 C or 25 C the Town of Cochrane Road Operators are ready and waiting to make sure the streets are safe for residents.

Winter is often the most challenging time of the year, said roads operator Chad Gibbons, and two crews with staggered start times provide 24-hour coverage to Cochrane's streets.

“On all of our routes down to bare asphalt is what our goal is,” Gibbons said. “We’re not out trying to ruin your day by plowing in your driveway … We just want to get the roads plowed and not make too much of a mess.”

Gibbons has been with the roads department for 13 years, and while most winters face their ups and downs this year has been different because of COVID-19.

The Town has two crews that are kept as separate cohorts and social distancing is in place while working.

There are nine full-time operators and four-seasonal operators servicing more than 250 kilometres of roads. They are fully trained on the plow trucks and equipment used over the winter months.

The Town has three plow trucks that work tandem with a sander, a grater, loader and a pick-up truck with a front-mounted blade.

Regardless of the temperature or the amount of snow they face, the crews are ready to go all hands-on deck when needed.

“This group of guys in this department there a great group of people,” Gibbons said. “We’re pretty close friends— It’s nice getting to work at two o’clock in the morning and guys have bought each other coffees and we’re all laughing and joking.”

The comradery makes for a great work environment, he said, and the job is easier because when it is -40 C at the tail end of a 12-hour shift the crews keep it light with jokes and laughter.

The crew is on the road as soon as possible when a major snowfall hits the town to ensure the roads are clear for Cochranites.

“You would be surprised Cochrane residents start moving around here at 4:30 a.m. You see cars heading up the hill to Calgary,” Gibbons said. “If it’s been snowing, we’re out there by 4 a.m. and we start working on those major routes."

The Cochrane roads crew clears all roads in the municipality, except for provincial Highways 1A and 22. Roads serviced in the town include emergency routes, arterial routes, collector routes, hills, industrial routes, emergency detours, residential streets and residential alleys.

It takes about three to three-and-a-half hours for an operator and a truck to clear and sand every single route.

“We go down every single road in town,” Gibbons said. “Once you do it once, you’re going around and doing it all again.”

The crew is always ready to hit and clear the streets, and every night they have window checks where they actively have operators getting up in the early mornings of the day to check for snow.

“One operator is getting up at two, another operator getting up at four,” Gibbons said. “Every night whether it's snowing or not guys are getting up checking the radar, checking the weather.”

If there is snow, they go for a drive and if the roads need to be plowed a call is made and the crews get to work clearing the streets.

On days when the town experiences a major snowstorm, it is all hands-on deck.

In cases of extreme snow build up the equipment can be running 24 hours a day until the roads are completely cleared.

“We do the best we can to try and get to that [bare asphalt]. Then we just clear it all up in the spring,” Gibbons said with a chuckle.

He knows it can be frustrating for residents when crews are out clearing the roads, he added, but they do their best to not plow snow onto people's driveways.

“It comes down to a matter of safety, all these roads that have all this snow we need to make sure that ambulances, fire, police … If you have an emergency, we want to make sure that you can get out of your residential area,” Gibbons said. “It all comes down to all these emergency vehicles being able to get to you if you do need them, and you being able to get to work in the morning.”

The extreme cold weather has an impact on the equipment, Gibbons said, even though it is housed inside and warm when the crew arrives.

“Hydraulics start running a little slower, the sanders start to not run as smoothly as they usually would,” Gibbons said. “There’s definitely some challenges when we're out at two in the morning and it’s -50 C.”

When the temperatures in Cochrane fall below -15 C salt does not work as well in keeping the roads clear and safe. As the temperature drops the crews begin putting straight chips on the street and that can quickly turn into a daily job.

“We have to just keep applying that because the cars and the traffic push it off the road,” Gibbons said. “We are out almost every night just putting down more material just to make sure the roads, intersections and hills stay safe.”

When temperatures once again warm up the road crews will use more of a straight salt to get the ice off the road.

The best steps residents can take to help the roads crew is to be aware and pay attention when they are out clearing— Watch for flashing lights, do not pass and give the rigs their distance.

“Give yourself some room, give us some room, stay back 10 to 15 metres so your vehicle isn’t getting hit by material,” Gibbons said. “That’s the last thing we want to do.”

 
 
 
 
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