How about getting some of the private highways maintenance contractors out to gravel Oops, I mean sand the icy highway before daylight, so the kids can get to school?
metalman.

I agree metalman!
I was on the highway between Vanderhoof and PG this morning at 7:00 am and it was a royal bloody mess!
If I hadn't had to go,I would have turned around and I probably should have anyway.
When I came back 3 hours later it was not much better,but at 7:am, there was no sign of any of plowing having been done.
Maybe one token attempt quite a while before and that was all but it was hard to tell.
I was down to about 50-60 kliks most of the time, or less.
At Bednesti there was so much slush on the road that when a vehicle passed you,you were blinded.
Then, at the bottom of the Bedensti hill, a logging truck going WAY too fast hit me with a wall of slush that stopped my wipers cold!
When I got the wipers going I was heading for the wrong side of the road, and a vehicle was coming towards me.
I was totally blinded with no wipers for about 10 seconds.
Scary stuff!
It was extremely icy with snow on top of it an I was in 4WD the entire trip.
Today I will be sending some emails to whoever I can think of,because this is complete crap!
But that's what happens when they privatize highway maintenance and I swear it gets worse every year.
The less they do...the more they make,and that is exactly the problem!
They are just too damn cheap to send out the crews early.
Avoid overtime at all costs!
I encourage everyone who runs into these kinds of conditions out there to do the same,because we deserve better!

Yep, I drive up and down the highways quite a bit. And I really think Yellowhead Rock and Boulder could do a better job when it starts to snow.

There is some liability issues here. Not neccessarily the contractors, but the government for not enforcing expectations.

It should be no surprise that snow means plowing and sanding until the slop is off the highway. If we have decent snow and ice tires, we should be able to feel safe to drive at 80km/hr at bad conditions. Allowance of one trip down to 60km/hr per season.

quote:

"Then, at the bottom of the Bedensti hill, a logging truck going WAY too fast hit me with a wall of slush that stopped my wipers cold!
When I got the wipers going I was heading for the wrong side of the road, and a vehicle was coming towards me."

That scares the crap out of me just reading it! Too bad you couldn't read the truck's snitch plate and phone in a complaint.

Nothing ever changes with them, you have to call 3 days after it snowed your Road isn't plowed and the first Question is what's your
Name, not the Name of your Road and don't ask for Sand after,that cost Money again.
I tell you I just hate calling them. The Word "Contractor" make me sick.

There has got to be some explanation for this poor maintenance. I often wonder if maybe YRB does not start work until 08:00 Hwy 97 N. was in a dangerous condition this morning too. Our rural road usually does not get plowed until about 3 days after a snowfall of any size, and there is a section that becomes impassable if the wind blows when it is cold and snowing. The powder snow is blown over the snowbanks and collects on the roadway to a depth of two to three feet once or twice every winter, and just try to get them out to clear it. Harumph.!
metalman.