Montrose, CO — A revised plan for snow and ice removal this winter outlines priorities for maintaining safe street conditions and details new efficiencies in coordinated operations with Montrose County. 


Snow and ice removal operations within the City of Montrose are integral to public safety and welfare. 


The city's objective when plowing and sanding roadways — during and after winter storms — is to provide access for emergency services, businesses, and pedestrians while maintaining reasonably safe driving conditions for motorists. 


The city's Public Works department breaks down snow and ice removal operations into a four-tier set of priority classifications. 


Tier 1 indicates that the road will be plowed to maintain continuous all-weather access within the maximum capabilities of the city. These roads are considered major arterials, are key emergency access routes, and provide connectivity to surrounding municipalities and both state and federal highways.


Tier 2 roads are considered minor arterial and collector roads to the transportation system and primary access routes to schools for school buses. Every attempt will be made to plow these roads on the same day as the storm.


Tier 3 roads are typically local roads adjacent to Tier 2 roads. Every attempt will be made to plow these roads on the same day as the storm.


Tier 4 surfaces are typically local roads within residential subdivisions that are not adjacent to Tier 2 roads, public parking lots, and public recreational trails. These surfaces will be plowed after all other roads. In addition to local roads, select alleys may be plowed to allow for trash collection operations. 


This week a winter storm blanketed the city with a couple of inches of snow. Members of the city's Streets Division monitored storm forecasts and were out in the early morning hours Wednesday, December 26, to begin plowing and sanding operations on Tier 1 roadways. By monitoring weather forecasts, crews can anticipate snow accumulation and prepare removal and sanding equipment. The city's snow and ice removal plan call for crews to begin plowing and sanding roadways when snow and ice first begin to accumulate. Crews are then assigned routes according to tier designations.


"Public Works is prepared and ready for snow, we are hopeful it continues to snow in the near future," Public Works Manager Jim Scheid said. "We need the snow in and around this area, so even though it means more work for us on nights and weekends, we welcome it."  


In addition to the tier system, this year the city has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Montrose County regarding snow and ice removal routes. The city and county have agreed to exchange a number of routes to make snow removal more efficient.


"The purpose of the exchange of the snow plow routes is to make both parties more efficient in the routes they are performing," the MOU with Montrose County reads. "The portions of roadways selected to be exchanged were selected because the City or County will be performing their regular snow plowing duties within their areas of responsibility, to include a small additional portion of County or City roadway within their route…” The arrangement will save both parties significant travel distance. 


During a December 17 work session, Scheid said the exchange of routes would save city crews 20 miles of travel distance getting to and from city roadways.


"Public Works departments from the City of Montrose and the County of Montrose are working together to simplify some of our routes to make each other more efficient. The MOU was issued to formalize an agreement between our departments," Scheid said. 


City roads to be plowed by Montrose County:


0.17 miles - Lincoln Road between 6530 Road and 6600 Road

0.87 miles – 6400 Road between Orange Road and Ranger Road 

0.75 miles – 6275 Road/Sunshine Road south of Otter Road (Brown Ranch Subdivision)

0.83 miles – Racine Road from Highway 550 West to 6500 Road 

0.53 miles – Miguel Road south from Highway 50 

Total: 3.15 miles 


County roads to be plowed by the City of Montrose:


0.72 miles – Locust Road between 6600 Road and 6700 Road 

0.16 miles – Ogden Road from city limits to 6800 Road 

0.36 miles – 6900 Road from Oak Grove Road south to Overland Drive

0.49 miles - Oak Grove Road between 6800 Road and 6900 Road 

0.12 miles – 6450 Road south of Chipeta Road 

0.16 miles – 6900 Road between Oak Grove Road and Miguel Road 

0.89 miles – 6900 Road from Overland Drive to last house (0.6 miles before South Canal)

0.15 miles — Dales Road from 6900 Road west 0.15 miles

0.003 miles — One Bradley Way Road 

0.13 miles — 6450 Court (to be paved in 2019) 

Total: 3.21 miles 

A map depicting the city’s snow removal routes and priorities, as well as snow removal instructions for sidewalks are available at www.cityofmontrose.org/168/Snow-Removal


For more city news visit: CityOfMontrose.org. 

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