Winter Operations FAQ | Mainroad Alberta Contracting LP

Mainroad is delivering highway maintenance from four yards:

• Red Deer
• Ponoka
• Innisfail
• Winfield

In addition, Mainroad maintains two material reload sites located in Alix and Rimbey.

Forewarned is forearmed, so we follow the forecast closely to stay on top of rapidly changing weather. We also provide information to 511 Alberta about highway conditions. The public should pay attention to 511 Alberta and local radio stations for up-to-date weather and road conditions to help them plan their day. Mainroad is constantly monitoring weather and highway conditions. To determine how best to protect drivers, we oversee weather in two ways:

1. Monitoring: Prior to, and during a storm event, our operators are on the road observing current conditions and making the calls as to what maintenance is required. One tool used by Mainroad is MARWIS, a mobile information sensor that measures road conditions and environmental data both reliably and professionally. The sensor is directly installed on the vehicle to collect weather data such as temperatures, humidity, and dew points. This helps our crews manage the road surfaces.

Mainroad also receives data from a monitoring system owned by Transportation and Economic Corridors.

2. Forecasting: Mainroad uses data derived from Road Weather Information System (RWIS) stations that are owned and operated by Transportation and Economic Corridors and situated throughout our maintenance areas for weather forecasting. Four roadside stations measure site-specific highway data such as pavement surface temperature and condition, precipitation, snow depth, air temperature, humidity, and wind.

Transportation and Economic Corridors contracts with a company called WSP Consultation Service to analyse the data collected at the stations to build weather forecast information. Mainroad also contracts with a leading road weather forecaster to provide detailed area-specific weather forecasts twice a day during winter.

Environment Canada contributes to our weather watch with its regional forecasts. Combined with additional weather information from other sources, these tools help us predict road conditions.

Firsthand experience is also a big part of knowing our roads which is why Mainroad patrols the highways on a regular basis.

We attack winter aggressively starting with monitoring forecasts and proactively patrolling the Central Alberta Contract Maintenance Area. Ahead of a forecasted weather event and to prevent the formation of ice, Mainroad has the ability to deploy resources to pre-treat roads and highways with winter materials and/or anti-icing chemicals. Pre-treatment is only effective for certain types of weather events and is used as required and in accordance with our government contract.

The proactive use of an anti-icing liquid is a proven way to combat ice from forming on the highway surface. This technique is used throughout most highway maintenance jurisdictions in North America, as well as some municipalities in Alberta.

During severe weather events, we will have as many as 100 crew members working in shifts through a 24-hour period – and we’ll do that daily until all provincial highways in our Central Alberta Contract Maintenance Areas meet our contractual requirements.

To keep the public informed, Mainroad shares regular road and weather updates with a list of various stakeholders, Transportation and Economic Corridors, 511 Alberta, and media. This helps everyone understand the current conditions, expected weather and Mainroad’s response. These updates are also posted on our Twitter account, @MainroadAlberta.

When a weather event occurs, (snow, freezing rain, flooding, etc.) Mainroad crews are working around the clock plowing, sanding and/or salting as conditions warrant and patrolling the service area.

Transportation and Economic Corridors sets criteria for Mainroad’s plowing response time. Priority is given to major highway routes school bus routes and the majority of traffic. Winter traffic volumes may determine plowing frequency. Transportation and Economic Corridors reviews these frequencies to ensure that plowing priorities reflect any changes in the road network.

When winter hits, we need to keep roads as clear as possible. Drivers can be frustrated if all roads aren’t cleared immediately and we ask for your patience. If a storm is particularly fierce, our crews are mandated to focus on priority roads before turning to other roads.

Adhering to Transportation and Economic Corridors’s priority approach allows Mainroad to make the best use of resources to keep roads as safe and reliable as possible.

If you’re wondering why it’s taking a while to get a plow along your road, you can call us at our 24-hour hotline is 1-877-875-3263.

During periods of high wind conditions, snow can drift in an instant and a road can be
re-covered in snow within minutes of a snowplow passing and clearing the road. A cold winter wind can also impact icy road conditions.

To restore traction during winter operations, crews are applying sand and/ or a sand-salt blend. However, during periods of high wind conditions, applied material can be blown off the road. Depending on the road and weather conditions, applying winter salt can create a greater hazard as the road surface can then become wet and allow snow to stick. As such, Mainroad treats each winter storm differently, depending on a number of factors including wind conditions, road temperature and snow fall rates.

During winter operations, road crews are working tirelessly through all types of weather conditions to patrol for road hazards and to apply winter materials as conditions warrant.

During extreme weather conditions that include white-out conditions, it is advisable that drivers avoid travel until road conditions improve. Before heading out, check 511 Alberta for the up to date conditions in your local area.

Mainroad plows are working around the clock during winter operations – plows are assigned plow routes in the Contract Maintenance Area – should you see a snowplow truck with the blade up, there may be a number of reasons for this to occur:

1. The operator is heading to an assigned plow route to begin the shift;
2. The operator is returning to the yard to reload winter materials or has reached the end of the shift;
3. During windy conditions, the operator is patrolling the highway looking for areas of drifting snow and as such the front plow will be up until the next section of snow has been found when the plow is lowered to clear the highway. Materials will only be applied when road and weather conditions warrant;
4. Plow blades are made of steel with carbide insert– as the carbide wears out, the operator is required to check them frequently and may need to return to the yard to change out the blades.

Many of Mainroad’s tandem and tri axle trucks are fitted with truck mounted wing plows which are situated on the right-hand side of the truck. Depending on the unit, they are either 9 or 10 feet long and operate at about a 35-degree angle from the truck. This provides 6 to 7 feet of additional plow pass width, permitting one truck to do the work formerly done by 2 prior to the introduction of wing plows by contractors across the Province in the ‘90s. These plows sweep rather than cut and are intended for snow clearing only, other equipment is used for compact removal. They are particularly useful for rapid widening and pushing shoulder snow accumulations back.  Heavy shoulder clearing work and snowbank pushback or terracing is done using a wing equipped grader. While Mainroad East Kootenay Contracting does not currently operate any left-hand wings, watch for them in other parts of B.C., usually operating in the fast lane of a multi lane highway.

Truck mounted wings are also used on multi-lane sections of highway to rapidly clear a wider path than possible using only an underbody or even a front plow. Motorists should exercise caution when approaching any snowplow, and never pass on the right.  Snow discharge can hide the wing and even the brightest warning lights, and the operator may not be able to see and avoid a passing motorist. Snowplowing is performed at speeds of 40-60 km/h, often less than that, so please be patient when following a snowplow. The operator will move over when safe to do so.

There are several ways in which work is assessed against contractual commitments:
Approximately 45 times a month, Transportation and Economic Corridors sends us blind audits to ensure compliance with our contracts. Using SiteDocs, a digital date collection service, we report on things like pothole fixes, garbage bin maintenance & snow clearing. These reports ensure we are accountable to the public.

Mainroad has a vigorous quality assurance program in place, which tracks our own performance. Should areas of concern be detected, measures are put in place to deal with the shortcoming and processes are modified to prevent recurrence. Mainroad is an ISO compliant company and its quality programs are built on those models.

1. AVLS (Automatic Vehicle Location System) allows us to track all our trucks in real time and to quickly re-deploy the nearest available units when the need arises
2.  Transportation and Economic Corridors has an ongoing inspection process that involves a high-level overview using resources from areas across the province, as well as thousands of detailed inspections that drill into the inside workings of Mainroad’s maintenance practices.

We use 3 materials:

• winter abrasive (sand/salt blend)
• anti-ice liquids
• granulated road salt

The use of a specific material is determined by the forecast & actual weather conditions in accordance with the standards set by Transportation and Economic Corridors.

During regular winter operations, we anticipate that we will use approximately:

• 15,000 Tonnes of Salt (1,700 truckloads)
• 42,000 Tonnes of Sand (5,000 truckloads)
• 2 Million Litres of Brine (300 truckloads)

Anti-icing Liquids: The proactive use of an anti-icing liquid is a proven way to combat ice from forming on the highway surface. This technique is used throughout most highway maintenance jurisdictions in North America, as well as some municipalities in Alberta.

WHAT IS LIQUID BRINE? Our liquid anti-icing brine is a combo of water & crystal salt. Only during extreme cold do we use a small amount of calcium chloride as an additive to our liquid brine. Anti-icing liquids are used as a preventative material prior to snowfall. Using liquid brine solutions prior to snow or frost is proven to be more effective than salt because it begins to work immediately to prevent the formation of ice. Learn more about Mainroad’s liquid anti-icing brine program

Weather can change rapidly in Central Alberta during winter which is why Mainroad is constantly monitoring weather and highway conditions.

During a storm event, Mainroad crews will be working to clear the highway surfaces as quickly as possible. When temperatures permit, we will commence anti-icing operations with the goal of getting the compact snow off service area highways and roads. On primary routes, we will aim to have bare and dry conditions as quickly as possible after the weather event is over, however challenging weather and cold temperatures will not always permit us to have bare and dry conditions on secondary routes. During every storm event, Mainroad provides 511 Alberta with regular updates on highway conditions.

We appreciate public feedback!  If you come across a highway situation in Central Alberta that requires maintenance, changing road conditions, or debris, please call toll free 1-877-875-3263.  Be as descriptive as possible.

Mainroad’s Call Centre is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – will record all public feedback and forward the information to our crews on shift to respond, as well as dispatch additional personnel, and update 511 Alberta.    

You can also email Mainroad: [email protected]

Follow us on social media – Mainroad Alberta Contracting currently maintains a Twitter account: @MainroadAlberta

Social Media: We regularly post road and weather updates on our social media accounts.  Please note: Mainroad’s Twitter account is not monitored 24/7, so it is best to contact our 24-hour hotline at 1-877-875-3263.

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