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Volker Stevin advising drivers to avoid highway travel if possible

Feb 8, 2018 | 11:25 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Motorists have been advised by the provincial government and a road clearing company to avoid highway travel altogether if possible due to the snow storm.

Wednesday afternoon, before the storm was anticipated to hit, the Alberta government issued a warning for western and southern Alberta, advising drivers to avoid non-essential travel due to the storm.

Crews with Volker Stevin, who manage road cleanup on highways, have been working throughout southern Alberta since Wednesday night as the storm came in, with most trucks being on the road by 4 a.m.

“All the crews are out working,” said Dean Jetten, operations manager with Volker Stevin, over the phone from Lethbridge. “We have all of our trucks out, which from Calgary south is about 155 plow trucks.

“In the specific Medicine Hat area, we have 26 plow trucks working.”

Jetten says crews will remain on the road until good winter driving conditions are possible.

Jetten says the biggest issues he has been hearing from crews includes visibility and snow beginning to drift on the highway once the wind dies down.

“Visibility is going to be a real issue,” he said. “People are going to have to be careful out there travelling and trying to pass any kind of vehicles at all.”

Jetten urges drivers to stay off the roads unless it is absolutely necessary.

“It’s not worth it our there, unless you really have to get somewhere,” he said. “With the visibility and conditions, Mother Nature is throwing us a pretty good weather pattern here, so it’s going to be like this for a little while, I’m sure.

“If you don’t have to go anywhere, I’d definitely stay at home.”