Street sweeping underway in Greater Sudbury

Sudbury street sweeper cleans up a quiet residential street. May 6/20 (Chelsea Papineau/CTV Northern Ontario)

Things are about to get real dusty as the annual spring street sweeping in Greater Sudbury gets underway.

"Crews have begun sweeping streets in the Ramsey Lake Watershed and high-risk drainage areas, as well as sidewalks in high pedestrian traffic areas, to protect waterways from runoff," the City of Greater Sudbury said in news release Wednesday.

"Street sweeping operations are expected to expand city-wide by the end of April, with support from contractors Jara Sweeping and The Munro Group."

This week sidewalks in the downtown core will also be swept.

The process usually requires several passes to remove the sand and debris left over in the roads, sidewalks and medians maintained by the city after several months of winter.

"Leaves, lawn clippings and other debris should not be placed on roads or sidewalks. Sand from driveways and yards can be swept onto roads in a thin layer to avoid clogging street vacuums," the city said.

"As crews will be working around the clock, it is important to avoid parking on streets overnight and to remove basketball and hockey nets that may obstruct equipment. Garbage containers and recycling boxes should not be placed on roads and gutters until sweeping is complete."

To find where the street sweepers will be and what has been completed, click here.