Snowing in Bellingham? These are the main roads the city plows
Not much snow stuck on the roads during the season’s first lowland snowfall Monday, Nov. 7, in Bellingham.
But if it had — these are the roads the city has planned for plowing first: Alabama Street, Meridian Street, Cornwall Avenue, Old Fairhaven Parkway and the downtown Central Business District, according to the city’s website.
Streets are prioritized based on safety concerns and levels of traffic. They are also essential for accessing services like police, fire, buses and Bellingham schools.
Side streets that aren’t considered main arterials are only addressed after the priority routes are completely plowed, salted and sanded, according to the city.
The city uses seven large sanders and plows and two anti-icing trucks during snow and ice events.
Street crews wait to plow until snow has accumulated several inches and is expected to continue falling. To start, crews only plow one lane in each direction on four-lane roads. They plow additional lanes depending on available time and conditions, according to the city.
City trucks plow snow from the front of the vehicle and follow by laying a salt sand mixture from the back of the truck. That mixture is 80% sand and 20% salt, according to the city.
However, crews clearing roads in the downtown corridor and around the Lake Whatcom watershed use a salt mixture with no sand.
This prevents sand from disturbing critical environmental habitats in those areas, according to Marty Gray, maintenance superintendent for the Bellingham Public Works Department’s Operations Division.
This story was originally published November 8, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
