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The Operations department is responsible for road maintenance throughout the Township. Information on specific maintenance activities can be found on the subpages in this section.
The Township maintains over 200 km of roadways with a mixture of asphalt and gravel surfaces. For more information about how these roadways are maintained during snow events, please watch the video below.
It may be hard to think about snow with the current heat wave we are experiencing but planning for winter is something that the Township focuses on year round. Residents can do their part in helping Township crews make the snow removal process more efficient by pre-planning for the winter.
You can help by ensuring that all vehicles, RV’s, boats, trailers and refuse cans have a plan to be stored on your property and not on the side of the road; this keeps the boulevards clear, providing easy access for snow removal equipment.
As a reminder, under the Township of Spallumcheen’s Traffic Regulations Bylaw No. 2012,2020, any vehicles, boats, trailers, RV’s or recreational vehicles that do not have a current valid licence should be stored on the owner’s property or at a storage facility.
The Township of Spallumcheen would like to thank you in advance for helping keep the snow removal process simple and safe.
The Public Works Crew follows Council’s policy on snow removal priorities.
For the purpose of ice control, snow plowing and snow removal operations; the entire road system is assigned to one of two priority classifications.
Emphasis of operations shall generally be in order of assigned road classification priority.
Sanding and/or de-icing of roads shall be undertaken in order to ensure a reasonable level of safety to motorists as local roads dictate. Ice control on sidewalks is the responsibility of the property owners as per the Township of Spallumcheen Highway and Traffic Regulation Amendment Bylaw 2012, 2020.
Emphasis for plowing operations shall be placed on ensuring there are no blocked roadways in the Township during a minor or major snowstorm and that arterial roads within the Township are returned to as close to bare pavement state as soon as possible after a minor or major storm.
Priority Road Map
The plow operator must plow snow to the curb or right hand side of the road, and has limited control over the amount and direction that comes off the blade. The plow blade is at a set position, and does not have the ability to swivel around driveways and crown of the road. When clearing your driveway, try to pile the snow on the right side (standing in your driveway and looking towards the street). This can help reduce the amount of snow that is pushed onto your driveway when a snow plow passes.
In order for our snow plow operators to provide the most efficient and cost-effective snow removal, continuous movement is required. With hundreds of driveways in the Township, it is not practical or cost efficient for plow operators to lift their blades at every driveway. Since our main goal is to safely open roads as soon as possible, lifting the blade at each driveway would slow down the snow removal operation significantly and would leave snow in the road that may in turn be a hazard to motorists.
The snow plows are designed to plow snow to the right hand side of the road. In order to plow all the snow to one side, the equipment would have to drive on the wrong side of the road creating an unsafe traffic situation and this would take more time which means the streets not serviced yet would have to wait longer. It is not an effective cost method based on the current level of service the Township of Spallumcheen provides.
Residents are encouraged to avoid pushing or blowing snow from their sidewalk or driveway into the street because it is potentially creating a dangerous situation for motorists.
Placing the snow back onto the roadway after a plow truck has gone by creates issues for our snow removal crews. The plow will need to make an additional run down your street to clean it up which increases the Township’s costs with additional staff time, fuel and equipment wear and tear, not to mention delays in getting to other areas of the Township that also need to be plowed.
After a snowfall the streets are prioritized based on our snow removal Policy No. 5000.001, which outlines the priority areas. Within the standard, the Priority 1 streets include such streets as main arteries, collector roads, bus routes, hill areas and streets leading to schools and public buildings, and emergency services. Once Priority 1 is complete, then the Township will clear Priority 2 streets.
In such circumstances, some residential streets may not see a plow for an extended period. These situations are the exception and we ask for your patience.
To view a copy of the Snow and Ice Control Policy adopted by Council, please visit our website at www.spallumcheentwp.bc.ca.
The Township of Spallumcheen does not perform work on private property.
In order for our snow plow operators to provide the most efficient snow removal, the operator will make a “first pass” and make every attempt to respect the refuse cans during scheduled pick-up days. A “second pass” or widening will be necessary, therefore it is advisable for the homeowner to return the refuse can back onto their property as soon as possible.
Clearing snow is the responsibility of the Township of Spallumcheen Public Works Department and the community; help keep the community safe this winter! Here’s how you can help:
Maintaining the safety of the Township’s roads, by controlling potential hazards such as brush and tree limb growth along shoulder areas within rights of ways, is a priority. The Township maintains 400 lane kilometers of road. The portion of the road cleared of vegetation is referred to as the clear zone.
The recommended clear zone limit for paved roads, without curbs should be at least 3 meters from the edge of the travelled way. For unpaved roads the limit is at least 1.8 meters from the edge of the travelled way. Clear zones may be extended beyond the minimums, where necessary, at intersections, sharp curves, areas of steep side slopes and other areas identified by engineering evaluation.
The reasons for roadside brushing are as follows:
Mechanical brushing is the most efficient and cost effective method of removing roadside brush. It is on average four to five times faster than hand brushing. Even though mechanical brushing is not as aesthetically pleasing as hand brushing, the aesthetics do improve in a short period of time once the new foliage and leaves come back on the brush. Whenever possible, the intent is to brush back far enough so as to not have to maintain for at least five years. The annual roadside mowing maintains the weeds and smaller brush. Hand brushing is performed when restrictions, due to clearance or environmental impact are in place.
Sleepy Hollow Road Before Brushing
Brushing Machine hard at work!
The Township of Spallumcheen maintains approximately 200 kilometers of ditches and over 1000 culverts. The Township of Spallumcheen completes shoulder grading and ditching annually as required. Shoulder grading and ditching is required to ensure proper road drainage and reduce roadway damage and flooding of adjacent property owners. Shoulder grading is completed by Township staff in the spring and fall of each year. Ditch maintenance is required to ensure proper road drainage and limit potential damage due to major storm events. The Township completes around 20 kilometers of shoulder and ditch maintenance per year and has an annual budget of $130,000.00.
Large capital culvert replacement projects are completed by contractors and areas identified in the Flood Hazard Mitigation Report as the highest risk are the current priority for the Township. Smaller ditch culverts are maintained by Public Works on an as needed basis. All works in and about a stream must have an approved Section 11 application under the Water Sustainability Act. Environmental protection and sustainability are equally important to the Township when conducting draining upgrades.
In British Columbia there are legislative requirements that municipalities must follow to address noxious weeds and invasive plants within its limits. Under provincial legislation, the Township must comply with the British Columbia Weed Control Act and treat noxious weeds on Township property.
Noxious weeds and invasive plants pose a potential risk to people, animals and ecosystems. These weeds can quickly spread causing negative economic, social, and environmental impacts. It is the Township’s commitment to ensure that our public places are sustainable for long-term use and enjoyment.
The Township of Spallumcheen conducts herbicide treatment on the following roads:
More information on noxious weeds can be found on the RDNO.CA website - Noxious Weeds and Invasive Plants
Mowing is conducted in the spring and summer months throughout the Township where the vegetation is cleared from the shoulder and foreslope of ditch. Homeowners are responsible for the removal and maintenance of vegetation on the remainder of the boulevard. The Township does not provide service or include funds in the budget for the remaining vegetation. By doing your part in keeping the boulevard tidy, we will keep our Town clean, beautiful and reduce the risk of fire. The Township encourages property owners and residents to maintain the boulevard for the beautification of the Township and the enjoyment for all.
The Township of Spallumcheen maintains approximately 50km of gravel road. Gravel road maintenance requires grading, gravel and calcium chloride for dust control. Annual grading is completed in the spring prior to the dust control product being applied. Throughout the summer months grading is done on an as needed basis, this helps ensure the dust control product lasts as long as possible.
Currently the Township is exploring alternative options to gravel roads by increasing the amount of chipseal applied to roads and mixing Recycled Asphalt Shingles into the top gravels.
Dust control applied to Rashdale Rd.
Chamberlaine Rd Graded
Recycled Asphalt Shingles applied to Clinton Rd.
The Township of Spallumcheen’s Public Works Division is responsible for road repairs including asphalt paving or patching.
Pothole and minor maintenance patching is performed by Township of Spallumcheen Public Works crews. Larger service patches and road paving and overlays are done by private contractors for the Township.
Please proceed with caution whenever work is in progress.
To report street light outages within the Township of Spallumcheen, please call the Township Office at 250-546-3013 between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm. Please note, a Pole ID number is required when calling to report an outage.
To submit a service request please click here .