Two major winter storms have dumped snow on the Great Bend area in the past week, taxing the city’s Public Works Street Division.
While snow-removal crews braved the cold and wind Monday, Street Division Director Don Craig addressed Great Bend’s snow removal policy. In a nutshell, he said his staff clears off the main arterial thoroughfares first.
“The intent of the City of Great Bend’s Snow and Ice Control Policy is to provide a uniform understanding of the priorities and procedures used to combat snow and ice related road conditions,” the policy reads. It is approved annually by the City Council and hasn’t changed much in several years.
“The goal of the City of Great Bend’s snow and Ice Control Policy is to maintain safe and convenient driving surfaces for use by the motoring public,” the policy continues. “Snow and Ice control is considered an emergency operation which must be initiated quickly and be continued on a round the clock basis. Once initiated, work continues until all required chemical or abrasive control and snow plowing operations are completed.”
The main streets and roads in Great Bend are divided into a primary and secondary priority list, according to the policy.
Priortiy I
• Main Street from north city limit to south city limit
• 10th. Street from west city limit to cast city limit
• Broadway Avenue from west end to 281 by pass
• Washington Street from north to south city limit
• Forest Street around the St. Rose Ambulatory and Surgical Center
• Polk Street around the surgical center
• McKinley from 10th Street south to Second Street
• Sixth Street from McKinley to east end of road
• Cleveland Street from Sixth Street south to Second Street
• Second Street from McKinley to Cleveland
• Streets around Police and Fire Stations
Priority II
In addition to the streets in Priority I, the Street Section will open the following arterial streets and downtown core area. This list does not specify the order in which they will be cleared.
• Second Street from Main to Frey Street
• Third Street from Frey to Kiowa Road
• Lakin Street from K-96 to Frey Street
• 17th Street Terrace from K-96 to McKinley Street
• 19th Street from McKinley to 281 by pass
• 24th Street from K-96 to Frey Street
• Cherry Lane from Hemlock to Eisenhower Court
• Patton Road from 24th Street to south city limit
• K-96 from 24th Street to 10th Street
• McKinley Street from north city limit to 10th Street
• Harrison Street from north to south city limit
• Morton Street from north to south city limit
• Kansas Avenue from 24th Street to Seventh Street
• 281 Bypass from 24th Street to 10th Street
• Frey Street from 24th Street to Second Street
• Pine Street from 10th Street to fifth Street
• Lincoln Street from 10th Street to Forest Street
• Downtown core area
• Open all streets around schools
Craig said his department won’t to the remaining residential streets because of time restraints. By the time crews clear those on the priority lists, the remaining streets have already become packed and impossible to clean.
The most recent blast has presented additional challenges, Craig said. “Streets keep drifting shut” due to the wind.
“We don’t mind the snow,” he said. “But we don’t like the ice and wind.”
Click on this link to view the entire Great Bend Snow and Ice Removal Policy.
