Two public information sessions will be held in early November to discuss  recent revisions to the road and bridge maintenance contract in the East Kootenay.

Mainroad East Kootenay Contracting LP, which currently holds the road and bridge maintenance contract, will hold these sessions to share information about its winter operations and how it plans to utilize new technology to improve service levels and public safety.

Mainroad will hold two separate public events planned for the Cranbrook and Fernie areas:

• Cranbrook - Public Open House
  • Prestige Rocky Mountain Resort
  • Event Date: Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016
  • Time: 1 p.m.-3 p.m.
• Fernie - Public Open House
  • Public Open House
  • Park Place Lodge
  • Event Date: Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016
  • Time: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The contract, $16.7 million annually over a seven-year term, was awarded in April of 2016 following an open, competitive tender process.

Mainroad has developed a more efficient operation that will provide a better level of service to meet the new winter specifications, including:

• increased investment in larger, more efficient equipment (six tridem axle, 18 tandem axle and eight single axle plows, all with wing plows attached) supplemented with one tow plow with anti-icing capacity and one trailer sanding unit, which creates a 14% increase in winter material carry capacity;
• having all plows equipped with AVLS (Automated Vehicle Location System), which uses GPS to track the plow locations and ensure efficient deployment of the fleet;
• relocating the maintenance yards and having greater stockpiles of materials at those yards to serve the local area better;
• increasing the use of liquid anti-icing chemicals by 250% (currently use one million litres, will use 3.5 million litres) by having liquid chemical production capability and storage at all five yards; and
• having a “Snow Desk”: a single point of contact staffed around the clock during significant weather events that has authority to deploy equipment anywhere in the service area as required.