By Geoff Smith (@smithco on Twitter)

Computers playing role in winter snow operations

Nov 2, 2016 | 11:59 AM

LETHBRIDGE — Technology will be helping keep Lethbridge’s streets clear and safe this winter.

The city demonstrated the various components of its winter snow operations for reporters Wednesday. Winter weather hasn’t been an issue so far this season, except for the Thanksgiving holiday, which gave crews some practice.

The most visible part of the operation is the city’s three wing plows, which will be used first on Priority One roads after a snowfall, including Whoop-Up, University, Mayor Magrath, and 26th Ave. N. Priority is based on the amount of traffic, and the incline.

Transportation operations coordinator James Nicholls says the wing plows have an extra blade on the right-hand side, which means it’s especially important for drivers to give them space to work.

“We know people want to get home. They want to get home after a long day of work. But our operators are trying as much as possible to take care of these routes and to open things up for them,” he said. “And the public just needs to give them a little bit more space, especially with these wing plows.”

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Nicholls added while a plow should never be passed on the right, that holds especially true for the vehicles that have the extra blade on the right hand side, which can be difficult to see until it is lowered.

Nicholls also showed off the different computer software, including weather forecasting and sensors on the Whoop-Up Drive Bridge, which gives them a heads-up to start treating roads before they get icy. That was the case for the Thanksgiving snow, as he showed off a chart that indicated how much the Whoop-Up Drive surface would have iced up had it not been sanded and salted first.

Nicholls said the weather sensor technology has been in use for a couple of years, giving them scientific data on which to base their decisions and be “proactive.”

He can also see the locations of sanding trucks and plows using GPS, and control message board signs and the Whoop-Up Drive speed limit. The city has the ability to reduce the speed limit on the bridge to 60 km/h from its usual 90 km/h.