The City of Portage Snow Removal Program is designed to keep city streets clear and safe in the most efficient manner along more than 223 miles of city streets. To meet the needs and safety of Portage drivers, snowplow operators may be hard at work as early as 3:30 AM plowing, sanding, and salting city streets. Portage streets are prioritized in the following order for snowplowing according to how heavily the streets are traveled.
- PRIORITY I: All major streets (examples include South Westnedge Avenue, Oakland Drive, Milham Avenue, Kilgore Road, Shaver Road, Lovers Lane, etc.)
- PRIORITY II: All primary “feeder” streets leading into various residential neighborhoods and access streets to all schools.
- PRIORITY III: All interior neighborhood streets.
- PRIORITY IV: Clean-up of cul-de-sacs and dead-end streets.
- PRIORITY V: Select park trails.
Snowplowing
When a snowstorm is in progress, every effort is made to keep Priority I and II streets clear. Typically, snowplow drivers can complete all Priority I and II streets in 4 to 8 hours. Once the major roads are clear, snowplow drivers begin clearing Priority III and IV streets, usually requiring 24 to 48 hours to clear. Select park trails are cleared only after public streets have been cleared (see page 11).
Pretreating and Deicing
In a proactive approach to snow removal, pretreating road surfaces before a winter event can make the mechanical clearing of snow significantly easier. The application of a liquid calcium chloride solution before a snow event reduces the bonding of ice and snow to the roadway. Not every event is conducive to pretreatment, however. The Department of Public Works evaluates many factors including air and pavement temperatures, humidity levels, dew point temperatures, and the forecasted rate of precipitation to determine if pretreating will be effective. In addition, deicing materials are often applied during winter storms with major streets, bridges, intersections, hills, and curves receiving priority attention.
What You Can Do to Help
- Michigan law prohibits residents and private snowplow operators from depositing snow from private driveways, parking lots, and sidewalks onto any public roadway.
- The Portage Code of Ordinances prohibits residents from placing objects such as basketball stands in the city right-of-way.
- On trash and recycling collection days, please keep containers on the curb rather than in the actual roadways.
Questions about snowplowing? Call the Department of Public Works at 329-4444 or visit portagemi.gov/290 for more information.