A Wisconsin problem

NEW LONDON – After the city of New London received complaints about the snow windrows at the end of driveways after one of the snowstorms that hit the city over the winter, the city addressed the situation at its March 3 Public Works Committee meeting.
Robert Garske, director of Public Works for the city of New London, told the committee that he was informed about some comments made on social media after a snowstorm event in the city. He said he was also forwarded phone messages that contained information about how to avoid windrows at the end of driveways.
“A lot of these videos that are put out there have a lot of factors that do not play or involve streets like we have here,” Garske said. “You notice they’re narrower streets, so you’re removing a lot less snow and putting that to the side. You notice almost everything is set back in the terrace area to where it will not affect when they drop this wing to grab the windrow and bring it onto the side.”
With the city streets in New London, Garske said it would take multiple passes by the snowplow to accomplish that.
Based on the inclined grades of driveway aprons the road pitch going into that incline, Garske said a hydro-turn plow will cause gouges in the driveway apron. And the complete windrow would not be removed from the end of a driveway, but it would be pushedfurther up the apron.
“If you’re looking at implementing anything to try to alleviate these windrows, you’re talking more time, extra equipment, more equipment as far as plows go, and trying to find staffing to run those extra hours to alleviate a windrow at the end of a driveway,” Garske said.
Garske added that it’s “not even close to feasible to try to prevent a windrow at the end of a driveway in a snow event.”