With the rain and high single-digit temperatures we’re experiencing, the best way to handle the melting snow is to have somewhere for the water to go.
Timmins public works manager Ken Krcel says some of his workers are clearing as many catch basins as they can. Some of that is in conjunction with the work they were already doing.
“The snow removal crew is out removing snow. They’re also shaving all the buildup off the roads and it opens up multiple catch basins as opposed to individual ones all over,” says Krcel, “ and every bit of snow we can remove off the street is that much less to melt and go down the catch basin.”
Meanwhile, what’s happening this week is, in Krcel’s mind, the perfect storm.
His workers are still trying to catch up with snow removal… and the warmer weather has brought on melting and pothole season.
“Right now, we need to prioritize on getting the water off the roads and clearing as much snow off as we can, before we redirect our crews to potholes,” Krcel explains. “We will tackle the big ones as they come. We’re going to do our best, just ask for patience from the public.”
Krcel asks drivers to be careful around all the water on the roads, to avoid splashing pedestrians.