BEND, OR -- Bend city crews continue efforts to keep roadways clear; but, plows leave big berms of snow on the side of the road, causing their own problems.
David Abbas, Bend Streets and Operations Director, says getting rid of all that snow depends on where – and how much – there is. "The volumes of snow we’ve received so far this winter, as everybody can see out there, is becoming a challenge. Real estate of places to put snow is becoming limited. But, in the downtown core, so far this winter, a few occasions we’ve worked on some snow removal involving a few dump trucks that we have and a loader," Abbas tells KBND News. "So far, we’ve taken it down the street to near Colorado, Scott Street and the Parkway, there. ODOT’s worked with us on some of the right of way and being able to be dump some snow there. Space is becoming limited so we’re looking at potentially some other areas where we can try to get rid of some snow. Looking at the forecast, we’re looking at upwards of maybe 15” again this week." Those removal efforts are limited to when crews are available and take place overnight, when there’s less traffic. He says the first priority is always making sure traffic is flowing and travel lanes are clear.
