The goal of Westlock County is to clear snow from all roadways within four to five days after the end of a major snowfall. The removal of snow from approaches and driveways will not be done until roadways have been cleared. Clearing of snow from County Roadways will take place in this priority:
- Arterial roads
- School bus routes
- Commercial/Industrial haul routes
- Collector roads
- Hamlet roads
- Other local roads
- Roads to graveyards
- Community Hall approaches & parking lots
As a result of our snow clearing activities, windrows may be deposited across laneways. We will do our very best at reducing the extent of these windrows; however, windrows will result from the snow clearing activity. Never pass a grader when it is clearing snow from the roads. Whiteout conditions are often created in the front of the grader and reduce visibility for the operator and traveling public. Stay at least 15m back from the grader and wait for it to pull over before passing. The operators will pull over periodically to let vehicles pass. If you need to get out of your personal driveway sooner than the four to five day snow removal turnaround by our graders then you are responsible to make your own arrangements for driveway clearing. Contact our office for a list of contractors that may be available to assist you with clearing your driveway. In case of an emergency where ambulance/fire/police have to be dispatched by 911 please contact our office or after hours emergency line to have a specific route/driveway cleared for safe entrance and exit for emergency vehicles and the safety of the patient or resident.
Snow Flags
Individuals who wish to have their residence approaches and driveways plowed must purchase a flag from the County office at a cost of $30.00 dollars (+GST) per flag and sign a Hold Harmless Agreement, which is kept on file for future reference. Make sure your flag is visible for our County grader operators at the driveway access point. The operator will then pick up the flag at the time of snow removal from your driveway. Driveways will be done at the discretion of the County, and will only be done from the road to the area where the car or truck is normally parked, near the residence. The County cannot guarantee when the equipment will be available to perform the work of clearing your driveway. If you require immediate service, please feel free to contact a private contractor to accommodate your needs.
Individual residents that remove snow from their driveways must not push the snow across the road; this can cause gravel loss and create unsafe road conditions. Residents who push snow across the roadway may be fined for creating unsafe road conditions. When pushing snow towards the road, residents are asked to push the snow to the right side of their driveway so that the grader does not push it back in to the driveway when the local road is done. We appreciate your cooperation.
