Streets and Slush Update

Slush management

The warm weather is helping the City clearing the slush off the streets. Streets cleaning equipment in the region is out clearing slush on roadways in an efficient, targeted effort that prioritizes problem areas.

Crews are also assisting with catch basin clearing and flooding issues in priority areas. In Bend, 11,093 storm drains, and catch basins must be cleared to allow snow melt runoff.

After storms, both cities typically prioritize clearing all arterials and collectors and problem areas. Over the past weeks, the snow has been scraped and packed down on the streets. Now, with this warm wet weather, that packed snow is churning into deep and cumbersome slush.

Plowing all streets would push heavy ice berms across driveways, mailboxes, and hydrants that would be very problematic for people. “Therefore, we are working with the warmer temperatures and rain to help the roads melt and drain,” said Bend Streets and Operations Department Director David Abbas.

The idea is to let Mother Nature help with the road clearing process today for the most part, and address problematic areas. Streets crews are handling the problem areas where streets and intersections are making people get stuck or creating dangerous situations.

The City of Bend has all of its available equipment working—about 18 pieces of equipment.

If you know of an area that is causing vehicles to get stuck, you can report it and the information will be helpful in directing our limited resources to the most pressing locations.

Bend Streets and Operations 541-317-3000 X3

For a map showing places to avoid, visit www.deschutes.org/highwater. This interactive map shows streets and intersections experiencing high water that residents may want to avoid. Local flood impacted areas and road closure information will be added to the map if they occur.