The City of Grande Prairie maintains roads throughout the winter based on their classification and level of use. Priority roads are cleared first to maintain access for emergency services, public transit and residents travelling throughout the city.
City crews monitor road conditions and use plowing, sanding, salting and snow removal to maintain Priority 1, 2 and 3 roads as conditions require.
Priority road clearing operates separately from residential snow clearing, which follows a scheduled two-week rotation when declared by the City.
Priority 1: Major roads and emergency routes
Priority 1 roads include major routes such as 100 Street, 84 Avenue, 68 Avenue, Resources Road, 108 Street (sometimes called Highway 40 or Wapiti Road) and primary access roads for emergency services.
Priority 2: Transit routes and major collector roads
Priority 2 roads include transit bus routes and major collector roads such as Crystal Lake Drive, Mission Heights Drive, Poplar Drive and Royal Oaks Drive.
Priority 3: Industrial and commercial roads
Priority 3 roads include City-owned roads in industrial and commercial areas. Private business roads and parking lots are not included.
Priority roads in residential neighbourhoods
Not every road in a residential neighbourhood follows the residential snow clearing schedule.
Some main roads, including transit routes and major collector roads, are classified as Priority 2. These roads are maintained by City crews throughout the winter and do not follow the Week A/Week B residential clearing schedule.
For example, a Priority 2 road may be cleared before the surrounding residential streets, even though both are located in the same neighbourhood.
Local residential streets are cleared separately by contracted crews during declared residential clearing rounds.
Learn more about residential snow clearing.
Rural service area
The City maintains approximately 40 kilometres of rural roads within city limits. These roads are cleared using designated equipment on an as-needed basis, separately from priority road and residential snow clearing programs.
How snow clearing priorities work
The City clears roads based on their classification, with Priority 1 routes receiving attention first to maintain access for emergency services and major traffic routes.
Priority 2 and 3 roads are cleared after Priority 1 routes are complete, with a service standard of five business days.
During prolonged or repeated snowfall, crews may need to return to Priority 1 roads before continuing work on other routes. This can affect clearing timelines for lower-priority roads.
Service levels are based on normal winter conditions and may be affected by significant snowfall and available resources.