Another slippery morning on Lower Mainland roads, sidewalks

LOWER MAINLAND (NEWS 1130) – Appalling — that’s how at least one truck driver trainer in the Fraser Valley described the conditions on parts of Highway 1 Tuesday morning.

The cold weather coupled with Sunday and Monday’s snowfall has made way for icy roads throughout the Lower Mainland, and it’s a slow go for drivers all over.

“And it wasn’t within 20 feet of actually merging onto Highway 1 that I wanted to stop, pull over, and leave,” a driver, who goes by the name ‘Triple D,’ told NEWS 1130. “I just didn’t want to be on. It is nothing short of just a sheer sheet of ice.”

He said he was shocked by the lack of maintenance being done on the major route.

“I just don’t understand how this highway is not getting any maintenance. Ok, you can’t use brining, but salt — at the very least… If you don’t have strong driving skills, you shouldn’t be on this road,” he added.

We are hearing about incredibly icy conditions on Highway One in parts of the Fraser Valley, Langley, Surrey, and Burnaby. There are a number of spun out vehicles too.
Stay with @NEWS1130 for the latest info. https://t.co/wgOGjEyY27

— Amanda Wawryk (@AmandaWawryk) January 14, 2020

Some cities in the region told NEWS 1130 on Monday that rain mixed with snowfall in the recent days had interfered with prevention efforts like brining.

Callers have been reporting treacherous conditions along Highway 1 since the early weekend, from the Fraser Valley all the way west.

On Tuesday, Trevor with Clover Towing said he and others had pulled out more than two dozen vehicles that ended up in the ditch along Highway 1 between 264 Street and 232 Street.

“We’ve watched quite a few of them go in while we’re pulling them out. Everybody’s just [driving] too fast for the conditions, or they’re drifting off into the shoulder and the shoulder’s grabbing them and rolling them over,” he told NEWS 1130. “It’s pretty ridiculous.”

While Trevor said Clover Towing was able to slowly keep up, the company teamed up with Aggressive Towing out of Abbotsford to be able to get to everyone.

“It’s been a long night,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Chilliwack School District cancelled buses on Tuesday due to the severe conditions there.

Drivers are reminded to ensure they have the appropriate tires for winter driving conditions and to slow down.

Sidewalk hazards

Tuesday may have kicked off with more icy conditions on the roads, but it’s not just drivers dealing with a dicey situation. Many sidewalks have also been covered by sheets of ice.

People walking around will probably not run into any issues in front of businesses, where walkways may be cleared and salted, but step out into the hinterland of sidewalks in other places and you may notice a very different situation.

“I’m having trouble walking on the sidewalks here,” a pedestrian told NEWS 1130 in North Vancouver.

Municipalities and businesses have said they were working to clear sidewalks, but there’s been a lot of chipping and scraping to help out pedestrians, particularly those with mobility issues.

With more snow on the way, it could get worse before it gets better.