'Severe ruts': Saskatoon moves to clear snow from all residential streets

Freezing rain triggers city-wide snow grading The City of Saskatoon says it plans on conducting city-wide snow grading, as freezing rain has made the ruts on some streets unmanageable

Saskatoon doesn’t typically grade snow and ice from residential streets, but the slick conditions have triggered city-wide clearing.

"After the freezing rain and above-zero temperatures, severe ruts developed on local streets, which impacted drivability and mobility on those streets — making access to residential properties unsafe and challenging," Goran Saric, the City of Saskatoon's director of roadways, told CTV News.

Crews aim to have all streets graded by Friday. Neighbourhoods in outlying areas will be cleared first, according to Saric.

Amy Thorsteinson is looking forward to her street in Hampton Village getting cleared.

"I'm bottoming out the whole way, basically. I'm worried about the underside of my car, I'm worried about getting stuck," Thorsteinson said.

The Saskatoon Public School Division said both of its bus providers, Hertz and First Student, experienced delays on Monday morning — with some buses getting stuck in the ice and slush.

As crews work to remove the snow and ice, the city is asking drivers to move their vehicles off the street, where possible.

If access is limited, some streets will be skipped and returned to later with parking restriction signs.