Growing Snow Banks Force All Ottawa Traffic Into Just One Lane

Growing snowbanks force traffic into one-way, single lane travel on all city streets.

Ottawa - The recent large accumulation of snow across the region has created giant snowbanks on city streets forcing all traffic to drive in a single file down most streets. The growing snowbanks are slowly encroaching onto roadways bringing a normal two lane street down to one lane. Sidewalks are also becoming narrower due to the snowbank infringement, resulting in parents having to push strollers single file in the Wellington West area of Ottawa.

Parking on city streets has become non-existent, with many cars forced to just park on top of snowbanks and ski down the slopes to the street below. Most bike paths were also limited to unicycle riding in single file format only.

City Road crews are having a difficult time keeping city streets free of snowbanks with the constant accumulation of snow, but are hoping to clear the snowbanks and resume two lane traffic sometime soon. For now, the city is advising motorists to learn to drive angled at 45 degrees on two wheels down the narrow one lane streets if they can.