Officials in Anchorage say they are continuing to work on widening roads, hauling snow away and repairing damage after three storms that brought more than 4ft of snow to the area last month.
Anchorage Assembly vice-chair Chris Constant and other city leaders are unhappy about the amount of snow that is still on some streets and sidewalks.
Constant stated Tuesday morning that snow is still a problem all around town. “There are still lanes which disappear while you drive down traffic. We are, I believe, three weeks away from the last major snow storm.
Anchorage just experienced one of the snowiest Decembers in its history. The snow caused by three consecutive storms has long blocked roads, making it difficult to drive and making commutes longer. Officials from the city say that crews have made significant progress in the last few weeks. The crews have cleared the streets of thousands of truckloads of snow so far. However, there are still challenges.
Hans Rodvik, a city spokesperson, said that “We know it isn’t perfect.”
Rodvik stated that he sympathizes with residents’ frustrations. However, the city needed to start by focusing on the major streets and busy roads when it started to address the snowfall. It then moved into neighbourhoods.
Rodvik stated that they did it with single-grader teams. Rodvik explained that there was only one lane in each neighborhood to allow for that access.
According to him, many crew members worked for more than 20 days straight, night and day, in clearing snow. A smaller crew continued to work even over Christmas weekend.
Rodvik acknowledged that it took some time to get enough people onboard and the equipment.
He said, “I believe it took us some time source other contractors and get additional help to start these widening operations.” “So I believe some of the traffic backup people experienced was due to this.”
Acting Municipal Manager Kent Kohlhase stated that the city had hauled 320,000 cubic yard of snow. This equates to 320,000 Maytag washing machine. Kohlhase stated in email to the Anchorage Assembly that the contractor with whom the city has been dealing since the fall “has been challenged in his ability” to deliver the trucks ordered daily.
Kohlhase stated that the city now uses drivers from the city’s water and waste services for the operation of snow dump trucks.
Kohlhase stated that the city is currently accepting bids for an additional snow hauling contract. Mayor Dave Bronson has also reduced the 14-day period to just one week. He said that officials are using trucks from a “miscellaneous service” contract to remove snow from more than 1,300 cul de-sacs around Anchorage.
According to Kohlhase’s Thursday email, crews are currently focusing on clearing snow from main streets near schools. He stated that he hopes to clear all schools by Monday, January 9.
Constant, an Assembly member, stated that another concern was the accumulation of snow on sidewalks. This makes it dangerous for pedestrians and bus riders to safely get to their destinations.
Constant stated, “Yesterday, while driving, I saw a woman 8 feet tall on a snowberm, walking up Northern Lights like it was her only option.” “There is no access at the moment.”
Rodvik, city spokesperson, stated that he does not have an exact timetable for when the city will clear the sidewalks. He acknowledged that there have been some difficulties.
Rodvik stated, “A few weeks ago, I understood that we had to remove some sidewalk blowers because they were getting stuck. It was becoming too dangerous because of the berms.
Kohlhase stated that two main issues prevent the city from being able haul snow efficiently. First, snow-covered vehicles on the roads can impede snow plow efforts. Private snow haulers pushing snow onto public roads. This is against city code. The distance from snow dump sites is another factor that determines the ability to transport snow. He stated that there are six sites currently available.
Rodvik stated that it didn’t appear like snow dump sites would fill up anytime soon.
He said that he understood that the company was working to send some bulldozers to the locations to remove the snow. “Normally hauling is done between January and February, so we are a little bit early. However, right now I believe we are doing well.”
Recent criticisms of Bronson’s administration have been directed at him by the local equipment operators union , warning city officials this summer about possible snow plow problems due to staffing and retention issues.
Constant stated that the Assembly had difficulty getting current information during Bronson’s tenure. He said he was pleased with Kohlhase’s snow haul updates.
Constant stated, “It’s probably the most comprehensive briefing we’ve received in writing from the administration since June 2021.” “I appreciate that they are making an effort to communicate with us in a manner that we can understand,” Constant said.
After Amy Demboski ‘s firing last month, Kohlhase was appointed acting municipal manager.
On Thursday, the Anchorage Assembly will hold a work session to discuss snow removal efforts in the city with Bronson administration members.
