EUGENE, Ore. — Almost a week after snow covered the Willamette Valley viewers are wondering why many roads haven’t been plowed.
KEZI 9 News took viewer questions to the Eugene Public Works Incident Commander, Chris Girard.
Girard says crews have been working 12-hour shifts to clear priority routes. He says the extreme cold weather is unusual for the area and that’s why it’s taking longer to clear some areas.
Girard added the rubber-tipped snow plows are not making enough of an impact; the snow and ice is too compact on many road surfaces. “One of the reasons why it’s harder for us to get into residential neighborhoods is because of equipment,” said Girard.
He says many neighborhood streets are too narrow for the plows to drive through. “The plowed snow has to go some place, and usually it winds up on the side of the road after we plow it,” Girard said.
Eugene Public Works will regroup once the roads have been cleared, to discuss if there’s a better way to handle an emergency like this.
