'Really loud': Transcona residents frustrated with overnight city plows on snow-free roads

City of Winnipeg crews work to prepare a street for surveying work. Neighbours are getting frustrated with the noise, which is keeping them awake at night. (Source: Kirk Brennan)

A few residents in Transcona are getting tired of the late-night noise in their neighbourhood coming from city snow clearing equipment.

A grater and front-end loader were out early Monday morning preparing Ravelston Avenue West for surveying work, the city said.

Even though there’s barely any snow or ice on the street, residents said they understand the work needs to be done.

What they’re not happy about is that the work is taking place late at night while they’re trying to sleep.

It was just after midnight when Kirk Brennan heard the sound of metal blades scraping the nearly-bare pavement.

“It’s like a screeching, rumbling sound that you don’t normally hear when they’re clearing snow,” said Brennan. “It’s disrupting people’s sleep, it’s waking people up.”

Brennan said the chorus of beeping and scraping continued for around 45 minutes.

It’s not the first time crews have cleared the barren streets in the area.

Brennan said crews were on Bond Street twice at night last week doing the same thing.

Rebecca Oost also lives in the area. She said the noise woke up her and her husband Monday night.

“Last night was definitely the loudest and longest,” said Oost. “We could hear them blocks away because they were scraping against the concrete and it’s just really loud.”

The city said the work is called “spot plowing” and that it’s being done to prepare the street for a surveying crew.

The city said the road needs to be scraped bare to the pavement and must have a level surface so crews can get accurate readings.

While there’s not much snow on the street itself, the city said there was a small buildup of snow and ice along the curbs.

A city spokesperson said this type of work is typically done at night because there’s less traffic and fewer parked cars.