City Crews Busy With Storm - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

City Crews Busy With Storm

City crews started the job of cleaning and clearing snow early this morning as the storm picked up steam.

Shaun Sipma has more on the job of keeping the transportation lines open when mother nature is at her best of shutting things down.

With just seven plows the Minot Street Department has more than 500 miles of streets and avenues to clear and unclog.

(Dan Jonasson, Minot Public Works Director) "We've added an additional 25% lane miles just in the last three years."

Public Works Director Dan Jonasson says storms like this are difficult to catch up on as the streets and roads fill in almost as fast as they are cleared thanks to gusty winds and added snowfall.

(Dan Jonasson, Minot Public Works Director) "We're hoping that we can get through it in about 72 to 84 everything open residential, everything.

Much of that is also contingent on the residents themselves, keeping cars off the street for plows.

Because the snow didn't pile up as deep as earlier forecast, crews were able to use snow gates to try and keep driveways entrances mostly clear for residents.

"Minot Ground 306"

At the Minot International Airport, the plowing began late last night with all but one runway shut down for the storm.

(Steve Sessions, Airport Operations Foreman) "Anytime we have a storm we only maintain what we call the race track and what that allows us to do is get the planes down to the end of the runway, land on the main runway and taxi to the commercial ramp."

The runway itself had to be clear of snow along with drifts near the landing strip.

Then the trip had to be tested to be sure planes can land safely.

(Steve Sessions, Airport Operations Foreman) "We'll push that and drive 20 mph and then I'll slam on the brakes, so we got a friction of 62 which is real good."

"4313 proceed on the racetrack."

With the Minot Airport growing and more planes flying in and out FAA regulations require that the ground crew be able to clear the entire runway in a half hour or less.

Today's gusty wind so far is helping aid in that effort.

(Steve Sessions, Airport Operations Foreman) "The wind is our friend today."

Once the snow stops, the plows and snow blowers will then shift their attention to the other runways.

Shaun Sipma KX News.

City officials want to remind residents that it is illegal to push or blow snow from their driveway or sidewalk into the street and a fine can be levied for someone caught do so.