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Public Works
The Public Works Department is responsible for the operation, maintenance and preservation of roads, lanes, sidewalks, water mains, sanitary sewer mains and storm sewer mains.
The Water and Sewer Section is responsible for the daily operation and annual maintenance programs for all facets of the underground and surface water and sewer systems. This involves the monitoring, inspection and maintenance of all hydrants, valves, building connections, water lines, sanitary sewer lines and storm sewer lines throughout the City. The department also develops and manages preventative maintenance and rehabilitation programs for all water and sewer infrastructure.
The Roadways Section provides services for the operation and preservation of all roadway assets, including roads, sidewalks, interchange structures, river bridges, lanes and pathways. In so doing, the department manages annual programs for sidewalk maintenance, lanes and earth-street maintenance, drainage, snow and ice control, earth dump sites, and roadway preservation programs.
Debris on Roadways
Road Weight Restrictions
Streets Roads & Sidewalks
Snow Removal
Street Sweeping
Debris on Roadways
The City of Morden By-law 17BL16 provides for the control and removal of certain obstructions on municipal roads, parks and reserves. The by-law’s aim is to prevent unwanted placement of snow, ice, trees, shrubs, weeds, grass, leaves, refuse and other obstructing materials on municipal roads, parks and reserves within the City of Morden, to ensure safe passage.
Anyone who places, plants grows, deposits, or moves onto any municipal road, park or reserve any snow, ice, trees, shrubs, weeds, grass, or leaves refuse, garbage, or any other obstructions of any kind or nature, shall commit an offence and be levied a penalty of:
(a) A fine of $50.00 for the first occurrence,
(b) A fine of $75.00 for the second occurrence within the same 12-month period,
(c) A fine of $100. 00 for the third or any subsequent occurrence within the same 12-month period.
In addition to or instead of the penalties listed above, the City of Morden may remove or cause to be removed and clean up any of the materials or obstructions and charge the costs incurred directly to the person who has committed the offence.
Road Weight Restrictions
The City of Morden Traffic Control By-law 22BL13 covers all issues of traffic control. Below we have pulled out the sections that apply to truck traffic and what the restrictions are.
CITY OF MORDEN TRUCK ROUTES
- Route 100, Thornhill Street to South limit of Section 5-3-5W.
- First Street North, Thornhill Street to North limit of Town.
- Fifth Street, Thornhill Street to South Railway Street.
- Ninth Street, Thornhill Street to South Railway Street.
- Mountain Street.
- Wardrop Street, First Street North to Second Street.
- Thornhill Street.
- Stephen Street, Route 100 to Mountain Street.
- North Railway Street, Fourth Street to Ninth Street.
- South Railway Street, Route 100 to Mountain Street.
- Grant Street, Route 100 to West limit of Plan 1627.
- Enterprise Street.
- Jefferson Street.
- Cochlan Drive.
- Cochlan Drive, East.
- Agri Street.
- Twelfth Street, South Railway Street to South limit of Plan 1924.
- Service road on the north side of PTH #3 from Mountain Street to the entrance off PTH #3 located by Westside Community Church
ROUTE OF TRUCK TRAFFIC
- All trucks and truck tractors within the City of Morden shall be operated only over and along the streets or sections of streets set forth as Truck Routes on Schedule “A” hereto, but any truck may operate upon any street where necessary to the conduct of business at a destination point, provided that Truck Routes are used until reaching the intersection nearest the destination point. Upon leaving the destination point, a truck or truck tractor shall return by the shortest route to a Truck Route.
- All streets and sections of streets set forth as Truck Routes in Schedule “A” hereto shall be further identified as Truck Routes by appropriate Truck Route signs except where Sections (3) and (4) of Part VII apply, and shall remain open as Truck Routes, Sunday to Saturday, both days inclusive, at all times.
- Where “Route” signs of the type approved by the Highway Traffic and Motor Transport Board of the Province of Manitoba for use in and adjacent to the City of Morden are installed and maintained on a street or section of street, the street or section of street shall be deemed to be a Truck Route within the terms of this By-law.
- Where Provincial Trunk Highway signs or Provincial Road signs of the Province of Manitoba are installed and maintained on a street or section of street, the street or section of street shall be deemed to be a truck Route within the terms of this By-law.
- The operator of a truck or semi-tractor may go off the Truck Route to his residence or business if the truck is unladen except for non-commercial goods or belongings or emergency repairs.
- The Director of Public Works shall keep and maintain a current map setting out the streets and sections of streets set forth as Truck Routes in Schedule 1 hereto, and shall make available to the public, copies of the map at no charge.
ENGINE RETARDANT BRAKES PROHIBITED
- Unless otherwise stated the operation of engine retardant brakes shall be prohibited within the City of Morden.
- Persons may only operate engine retardant brakes when approaching the City of Morden from the west on PTH #3 and from the south and north on PTH #432 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.
Streets Roads & Sidewalks
Street Maintenance
The City of Morden Public Works Department is responsible for maintaining all paved streets and lanes in a safe driving condition for vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
Activities include:
- Inspection of streets regularly;
- Annual crack filling;
- Pothole repairs;
- Repair of various paved street failures such as dips, frost boils, etc.;
- Milling of rutted sections identified through inspections;
- Temporary cold-mix repairs to potholes and small excavations during the winter months.
Each year, the City of Morden schedules a variety of preservation programs to maintain the existing street infrastructure. Any roads requiring repairs which are identified through customer inquiries or the field staff, that have not been scheduled for a major repair in the current year, will receive routine maintenance, primarily consisting of pothole patching and maintenance.
Pothole and Pavement Cut Patching
Every effort is made to patch potholes and pavement cuts as soon as possible in the spring. Permanent patching with hot mix asphalt is completed on dry streets following the same priority system used for snow clearing in the winter. Temporary patching on streets that are still wet with snow melt is done manually with a cold mix.
Blade Level
For roads with extensive utility settlements resulting in rough surface conditions and drainage problems, an asphalt surface patch is placed by a grader over most of the road surface. To enable the asphalt to properly adhere and to reduce the porosity of the surface, an asphalt emulsion (oil) is placed over the entire road surface. This final surface will contain coarse areas and may have minor depressions that still hold some water. This work requires full road closure during the duration of the work.
Resurfacing
For roads with surface deterioration, a poor profile and moderate cracking, resurfacing work is performed. This is a major treatment which includes: survey, design, and re-profiling to improve drainage and repair of failed areas. The final stage of construction involves overlaying the entire road with a new asphalt surface. A full road closure is required.
Reconstruction
Overall structural failure is indicated when city streets show extensive cracking and deformation. Work consists of completely pulverizing the failed asphalt surface, removal of failed material, reclamation of granular material, re-compaction of the road structure and complete resurfacing. Some locations may have a stabilizer added to the base material to increase its strength. A full road closure will be required for several days.
Sidewalk Maintenance
The City of Morden Public Works Department is responsible for maintaining City sidewalks in a safe condition for pedestrian traffic and reducing/eliminating personal injury claims.
Activities include:
- Repair of safety hazards and major deterioration.
- Replacement of settled house connections.
- Overlay of damaged sidewalks with hot mix asphalt as a temporary repair.
- Repair of minor sidewalk deficiencies ie. crack filling, patching curbs, overlaying, grinding down dangerous “Lips”.
Snow Removal
Each year the “Overnight Parking Ban” takes effect on October 1 through April 30 and everyone is asked not to park on the streets between 12:00 Midnight and 8:00 AM.
What You Can Do To Help
When the snow comes, the Morden Public Works Department aims to clear the city as quickly as possible. To do this, they need your help. Here are a few things you can do to speed up the process:
- Please do not park on the streets. This will assist in the snow-clearing operation. If you park on the street, you may be towed and ticketed. The “Overnight Parking Ban” takes effect from October 1 through April 30, from 12:00 Midnight to 8:00 AM. See Traffic Control By-law 22BL13.
- Please do not park in the boulevard area of your driveway. Vehicles left in this area may impede snow clearing and cause a safety issue by impairing visibility.
- Please do not call the Councillors or the Morden Civic Centre with snow removal issues. Call the Public Works hotline at 204-822-5119.
- For safety reasons, do not push snow onto the street. If you do, the City will charge you for its removal. See Obstructions on Municipal Roads By-law 17BL16.
What is the Snow Removal Procedure?
The City of Morden’s priority is maintaining safe open roadways for public use. Generally, the following procedures are followed:
- Plowing is usually done at night, weather permitting (hence the winter parking ban).
- Two pieces of equipment are used for snow removal: a grader and a loader, which first clear the collector streets. A hired contractor is available when needed.
- One unit starts at the city’s southwest corner and works its way north and east.
- The other unit plows Stephen Street, then proceeds to the east end of the City and works westward.
- Sidewalks are also cleared during street cleaning.
- Typically, the City is plowed by morning, depending on the snowfall amount.
- The airdrome, Access Event Centre, and outlying areas are then addressed.
- During blizzard conditions, priority is given to Police, Fire, and Emergency vehicles. Snow removal equipment is on standby to assist these departments. City-wide plowing begins after the storm has subsided.
- When streets are cut down due to hard-packed snow, approaches are cleared. Approaches are also opened in cases of significant wet snow or large windrows generated throughout the City.
Public Works strive to have all streets plowed overnight. After heavier snowfalls, more time is required to plow.
Windrows of plowed snow with an average height over 30 cm (12 in) high shall normally be removed from all front street driveway approaches in conjunction with the street plowing operation and during the same shift as the street is plowed.
As a means to provide speedy service together with an affordable mill rate, the City has maintained its present format for snow removal. Our number one goal is still to provide safe passable streets for the general public as quickly and consistently as possible.
Clearing Snow Windrows of Driveways
At the Council Meeting held on December 5th, 2011 Council adopted Policy WO-021 – Clearing Snow Windrows of Driveways. When the windrows are being cleared, the overall snow clearing could take two to three days longer to complete.
Street Sweeping
Each year, the City of Morden removes thousands of tonnes of sand and debris from our streets. This vital work by City crews helps keep our storm sewers clear, reduces dust, and makes the streets safer for cyclists, pedestrians, and motorists alike.
Street sweeping begins each year in early to mid-April, starting with commercial areas and major roadways, weather permitting. Throughout the summer, crews continue sweeping in commercial zones every two to three weeks.
You can help us keep Morden clean! Please refrain from placing leaves or debris on the street, so together we can make a clean sweep!
