Town crews have completed work to make all roads passable with two lane traffic, Southington Town Manager Garry Brumback said Wednesday night, and with the latest efforts into snow removal and schools returning to class on Thursday, it seems the town has finally turned the corner.
Brumback said there is still work to be done, but the town is in great shape now that the most critical portions of recovery are complete. These include widening all roads to two safely passable lines and addressing any sightline issues at Southington's schools.
"Crews have completed many critical sight line issues around the schools. This work will continue (Thursday), but it is now safe for students to return," Brumback said in a email release.
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For many in the community, the February blizzard only served to test their patience. The town saw 30 inches in many areas, with some sections falling victim to drifts of four to five feet before all was said and done.
For many, it was late Sunday before they even had an emergency access route, but warmer temperatures and melting snow over the past couple days have helped the town address snow removal efforts at a quicker pace than during the first couple days, officials said.
School access walks still hadn't been completed on Wednesday night, Brumback said, but crews were working through the night to make sure all walkways were cleared by 6 a.m. Thursday.
In addition, the town continues to work on the following:
- Crews will begin parking lot snow removal at 2 a.m. Thursday. Riccio, 98 Main/Bank of America, and Hearthstone lots are the priority.
- Snow removal on Academy St., Oak St., and Merrill Ave. will also be worked on due to severe narrowing.
- Downtown street snow removal is scheduled to begin on Friday, Feb. 15, at midnight
- Sight line issues are being looked at. Schedule to follow.
"We are still getting a number of questions on sidewalks. We are asking that you do the best you can. The police will exercise judgment," Brumback said. "Our goal is not to write tickets but provide a safe walkway for our children to go to bus stops and school"
"Additionally, we know that streets still have a lot of snow and this is creating a problem for mail delivery. We will survey this after the above list is complete and help where we can. The challenge is that if we come back through and plow these areas it will end up in driveways. We do not have the time or equipment to also clear driveways."
Are you happy with where the town is at in regard to snow removal? What do you believe still needs to be addressed? Tell us in the comments section below.
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