Spring has technically arrived in Moose Jaw, but residents will have to wait until temperatures improve before city hall begins its annual street sweeping campaign.
The public works and utilities department will not start the spring street cleaning program until overnight temperatures are above freezing since it needs to spray water on streets to pick up debris and dirt, director Darrin Stephanson explained during the April 11 council meeting.
Historically, the department sweeps the main arterial and collector roadways first, but it can’t clean those roads during the day because of high traffic flows, he continued. Therefore, it performs those duties in the evenings and early mornings when it’s less busy — and when temperatures have improved.
Meanwhile, the department will adjust its cleaning schedule this year and attempt to start on residential roads during the day.
“Once the roads are swept, that’s when we’ll start line-painting season,” Stephanson said. “I would caution that, though. This year there are supply-chain issues broadly that a lot of the municipalities are facing in acquiring paint for the traffic lines.
“I think we are going to be OK, but I need another week or so before our tender closes to advise on that. But that is a real sticking point we have because of the economic climate we’re in.”
Some areas where city hall plans to paint lines include the intersection of Ninth Avenue Northwest and Caribou Street West and the turning lanes on First Avenue Northwest.
The next regular council meeting is Monday, April 25.
