Freezing rain, snow bring crashes
More than 50 graders were on Edmonton streets Thursday as snow continued to fall.
Sanders first hit the streets at 3 a.m. as freezing rain hit the city. The city’s full fleet of sanders and blade trucks was deployed to hills, bridges, freeways and major roads by midafternoon, plowing snow and spreading sand.
“We’ll keep on the roads with our sanding equipment,” roadway maintenance director Bob Dunford said Thursday.
The combination of freezing rain followed by snow can produce dangerous conditions, which is why sanding crews were sent out early. Home and business owners were reminded to keep sidewalks clear of ice and snow. Free sand is available at community centres around the city.
“At these kinds of temperatures, the freezing rain on the pavement and snow on top can make it for pretty difficult conditions. That’s why we were anxious to get some de-icers down underneath before it started snowing,” Dunford said. “It will make for some slippery conditions but we are going to keep up with the sanding for now.”
Dunford said the city will continue to monitor conditions and respond as needed. Hired graders will begin clearing major roads at midnight to prepare for Friday morning’s commute.
City police responded to about 106 crashes that caused damage, and 10 injury collisions, police spokeswoman Lisa Sobchyshyn said late Thursday afternoon.
A man believed to be in his 20s is in serious condition after his westbound vehicle spun out of control and rolled on Yellowhead Trail near 170th Street early Thursday. A member of the police canine unit was the first on scene around 2:50 a.m. and found the man, who had been thrown from the vehicle. He was unresponsive, and police later said the man has several internal injuries.
A 23-year-old man from Millet died after a head-on collision near Wetaskiwin at about 5 p.m. Thursday. The collision sent a 30-year-old Wetaskiwin man to hospital with serious injuries.
Poor conditions were reported on many highways in the Edmonton area, including Highways 28, 28A and 2 to the north, and highways 2, 19 and 39 to the south of the city.
The Alberta Motor Association received about 30 per cent more requests than average for tow trucks, technical services manager Randy Loyk said. Most help has arrived in about 35 minutes to an hour, he added, but said that was expected to grow with the afternoon commute.
“Surprisingly, it’s not that bad in Edmonton. As conditions get worse, with colder temperatures overnight, we expect roads will get worse,” Loyk said.
“The biggest advice we can give people is really slow down and be concerned about intersections and the side streets, which can be pretty slick.”