By Staff
January 26th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
The city announced that all City of Burlington facilities will be open Thursday, January 26, 2023.
The city appreciates those residents that kept their vehicles off the road to allow City plows to clear the roads completely.
Sidewalk snow clearing
We begin to clear snow from sidewalks when snow accumulation reaches five cm (or two inches).
We aim to have sidewalks cleared within 48 hours after the end of snowfall. Off-road pathways (high-volume paths only) are cleared within 72 hours after the end of the snowfall.
When snow accumulation is more than 30 cm, we aim to clear sidewalks as soon as possible but it may take longer than 48 hours.
Ice control – brine, salting and sanding
Before a winter storm, we apply a mixture of salt and water (called brine) to roadways to reduce snow and ice from building up and sticking to the road. This makes roads easier to plow and reduces the amount of salt used later. We apply brine to roadways anywhere from several days to several hours before the start of a storm, as conditions allow.
We apply salt, which effectively controls snow and ice conditions, to roads and sidewalks when surface freezing occurs. We primarily use salt when the temperature is above -10 degrees Celsius. When it is below -10 degrees Celsius, we mix salt with an additive to allow it to remain effective.
We apply sand on roadways to increase traction during slippery conditions. We primarily use sand on local roads, rural roads, sidewalks and during extremely low temperatures when salt is less effective.
Types of ice control used in each condition
Primary roads when a winter storm is coming – Brine
Primary and secondary roads with snowfall between one to four cm – Salted with sand used as an alternative
Primary and secondary roads with more than five cm of snowfall – Plowed and salted, with sand used as an alternative
Residential roads with more than 7.5 cm of snow – Plowed and sanded
Sidewalks, multi-use pathways and transit stops with more than five cm of snow – Plowed after all roads are cleared (which can be up to 72 hours after snowfall has ended)
One of the more than 25 pieces of equipment out clearing the primary roads.
