Blowing winds, frigid temperatures keeping snow on South Bend roads

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SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Some drivers are frustrated they’re still sliding down their neighborhood streets.

Officials say they’ve made a sweep through the entire city on plows at least once.

“My neighborhood has been plowed really well over on the south side of South Bend, like Ewing that area over there,” said driver Abigail Oakley.

And while some roads are taken care of some drivers are looking for road relief after an unforgiving snowfall.

“The neighborhood roads, they’re just as important as the main roads,” said driver Stephen Price. “When you hit the main streets, LaSalle, eddy, they’re pretty good but when you go down the streets of the neighborhoods, they’re not really plowed at all. They came through maybe once and everything else is what the cars get up.”

Folks say they have to be cautious because not every road is clear.

“When I try to stop, sometimes I slide a little bit and everybody’s going slow and everything,” said Oakley.

Officials handling these roads say driving a bit slower is best because while they are working on it the frigid winter weather is doing crews no favors.

“As people drive on streets, the sun tends to melt then refreeze based on cold temperatures,” said Derick Roberts, the director of South Bend Streets and Sewers.

The city has 36 plow operators during the day and 21 out at night.

But blowing winds on top of freezing temperatures are causing quite a bit of problems even for main roads.

The city says the trucks are now dropping some sand with salt on the streets to melt the icy roads but if your neighborhood hasn’t been cleared give them a call.

“Contact 311 and from there 311 gets in contact with us and we’ll send somebody out to make sure we plow that street or take care of whatever the issue is,” said Roberts.

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