It has been a treacherous winter at best, and many citizens have expressed concern over the conditions of Highway 40 between Wallaceburg and Chatham this season.
We caught up with Liane Fisher, spokesperson for the Ministry of Transportation (MTO), who fielded a few questions from the Sydenham Current.
Our Q & A is below, we’re in Bold text:
Who is responsible for clearing snow on Highway 40 between Chatham and Wallaceburg? Whose jurisdiction is this?
With the exception of the parts of Hwy 40 in Chatham and Wallaceburg that are under Chatham-Kent’s jurisdiction, winter maintenance on Highway 40 is the Ministry of Transportation’s responsibility.
The safety of our provincial highway network is the highest priority for the ministry. Our maintenance quality standards are among the highest in North America, and we are continually looking for ways to improve our services to enhance the safety and efficiency of our highways.
Winter maintenance services on provincial highways in Ontario are provided through private sector service providers. Our service providers are required to monitor road and weather conditions and deploy appropriate equipment in the event of a winter storm. In the area that includes Highway 40, those services are provided by Carillion Canada Inc.
When or how often should snow be cleared on Highway 40?
Contractors must plow highways when there is an accumulation of 2 cm or more of snow or slush. They must also deploy equipment for spreading salt or sand within 30 minutes of the start of a winter event.
Crews monitor the winter storm and adjust operations as required for intensity, duration and precipitation type. They plow and salt or sand continuously during the storm at a set frequency, every 2.2 hours for a Class 2 highway such as Highway 40, and clean-up after the snowfall. Contractors are also required to achieve a bare pavement surface on Highway 40 within 16 hours after the end of a winter event.
We monitor our contractors to ensure they are delivering on contract requirements and achieving provincial maintenance standards. This monitoring includes reviews of our contractors’ records and GPS-based systems, as well as conducting in-field audits to inspect the condition of the highway and the results the contractor delivers.
However, drivers should be aware that a severe or long storm may delay restoring highway to bare pavement standards, even with the best efforts of highway crews. Weather conditions can be variable and unpredictable, placing extra demands on a vehicle and a person’s driving skills. We encourage drivers to prepare for winter conditions by checking weather forecasts, checking road conditions at www.ontario.ca/511, and avoiding travel during the worst weather.
I’ve heard comments from people that conditions seem worse than in previous years. They’ve particularly mentioned a time about a month ago when the highway was closed and plows pulled off the roads. Do you have any comments on that, or have you made any notes on things to improve on in the future?
So far this winter we have received higher than normal amounts of snow fall, along with colder than average temperatures. These two things combined have added to the challenge of maintaining the highways.
The authority to close roads belongs to the Ontario Provincial Police. When they close a highway, the reason is often a lack of visibility due to snow squalls or blowing snow, which has created unsafe driving conditions. These visibility concerns can keep a highway closed even after most snow has been cleared from the road.
Two winter events in January 2014 created such conditions. During the early January storm, Highway 40 between Chatham and Wallaceburg was closed overnight on January 6 and reopened the morning of January 7. During the late January storm, Highway 40 was closed between Chatham and Wallaceburg from the early hours of January 25 until mid-afternoon that same day. Our maintenance contractor’s operations were continuous during both snowfalls. However, extreme conditions, including prolonged periods of blowing snow, slowed the work of clearing the highway and made conditions dangerous for drivers. The OPP kept Highway 40 closed while visibility remained nil.
How do emergency services get through when the roads are closed?
When highways are closed due to weather conditions, we continue to work with emergency services to ensure they have access. We also monitor road conditions in order to return the highway to service once conditions improve.
I’ve heard that the Chatham-Kent Municipal Council planned to send a letter questioning what can be done to improve road conditions. Have you received it?
Yes, we are aware that Mayor Hope has written a letter to Minister Murray on this issue and are preparing a reply. We can assure Mayor Hope and Ontario drivers that the Ministry of Transportation’s focus is keeping our highways safe. Ontario has some of the highest road maintenance standards in North America. We are a road safety leader and we closely monitor our contractors’ performance before, during and after a winter event to make sure our standards are met.
