Oskaloosa side streets still slick

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Herald photo by Andy Goodell/At the intersection of North G Street and D Avenue West Thursday afternoon, snow and ice combine with salt and sand dumped by Oskaloosa city crews.

December 18, 2009

By ANDY GOODELL

OSKALOOSA — More than a week after the worst blizzard Oskaloosa has seen in many years, some city streets are still slick.

Although the high traffic areas, such as A Avenue and the downtown area were cleared off days ago, many side streets remain a frozen tundra.

Oskaloosa Public Works Director Akhilesh Pal said recent frigid conditions are to blame, despite the efforts of his department. He said that when temperatures dip below 20 degrees, the salt used to melt the snow and ice becomes ineffective. It doesn’t help that recent midday temperatures have failed to even reach that point.

“The only way we’ve been able to deal with it is to put just sand on the road to hopefully create some friction between the road and tires,” said Pal.

Pal said side streets getting the most attention from his department’s snow plows have, of course, been emergency snow routes, school bus routes, and high-traffic intersections. He added, steep hills on side streets have also taken precedence over other roads.

“We have also been doing certain areas based on complaints,” said Pal.

In the days following last week’s blizzard, Pal said his department received a few calls from frustrated residents. Pal said several residents had been concerned about snow plows moving snow from the streets to their driveways. Pal said he can only urge residents to try to wait until their street has been plowed before they shovel their drive ways.

With just six street department employees and three waste water department employees, Pal said he’s satisfied with the efforts of city employees working on the massive undertaking that has been this year’s snow removal operation.

“They (city crews) have really been working,” said Pal. “I’m really happy we have crews working day and night.”

According a press release from the Oskaloosa Police Department, residents are encouraged to “use extra caution” while driving in town.

Oskaloosa police are also encouraging drivers to use caution downtown, should another storm warrant the nearly two-story-tall snow piles on and around the city square. These snow piles effectively turn the intersections into “round-about” intersections, much like the one leading to Oskaloosa Elementary School in northwest Oskaloosa.

“Motorists are asked to approach these snow piles with caution,” states the OPD press release. “Be prepared to stop and always navigate these piles in a counter-clockwise motion. Drivers should turn to the right, in order to circle these snow piles.”

Pal said the snow removed from Oskaloosa’s downtown by the truckload nearly filled the city’s snow dumping area.

“With snow in these quantities, it makes our job very difficult,” Pal noted.

With up to five inches of snow expected to fall over the course of today and this weekend combined, Pal said he’s hoping temperatures do not take a downturn the way they did after the initial snow events.

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Herald City Editor Andy Goodell can be reached at news2@oskyherald.com