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Huntsville Public Works maintain Town-owned roadways, sidewalks and parking lots throughout the year.
Muskoka Public Works maintain District roadways throughout the year. Check the list of District roads if you are unsure who maintains a road.

Watch the video to learn about winter road operations at the Town of Huntsville!

Roads

Winter road maintenance

Winter road maintenance

From Nov 1st to April 15th each year we plow, sand, salt and remove snow from:

  • Over 400 kms of roads
  • About 30 kms of sidewalks
  • Town parking lots

Standards

The Town is required to meet the Provincial Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways (MMS). The MMS are standards from the Province of Ontario for road maintenance. Snow and ice are removed within a specified time frame. Standards can vary by road class, speed limit and traffic volume on a roadway.

Plowing - general
  • When 2-3 inches of snow has accumulated, crews begin to work on main routes. 
  • When snow levels reach 3-4 inches, plows will visit secondary/local roads.
  • See plowing priorities, below.
  • Staff watch temperature and snowfall amounts closely. Plows may be diverted from one area to another during weather events. This helps maintain roads with high traffic, safely and more efficiently.

Plowing length of time

The length of time it will take to plow roads, depends on:

  • Time of day storm starts
  • Time of day storm ends
  • How long storm lasts
  • Wind conditions
  • Temperatures
  • Traffic and obstacles (example: parked cars)

Main roads aim to be plowed within 6-12 hours after snowfall has ended.

All other roads within 12-16 hours after snowfall has ended.
Plowing - vehicles

The Town has:

  • Ten plow/sander trucks
  • Graders
  • Loaders
  • Three sidewalk plows

Each of these vehicles have an assigned route.
Plowing - routes, map and priority roads
The Town of Huntsville has 9 dedicated plow routes. Each route takes about 6-7 hours to complete depending on many factors such as:
  • Weather
  • Road conditions
  • Obstructions (like parked vehicles)

Our drivers operate on a split shift model during the weekdays.

Reminder

Keep a safe distance back from plows and avoid passing. Please be patient with plow drivers.

Plow Map

View larger map 

Plowing priorities

Snow is cleared based on the type of road/street and the volume of traffic. Plowing priorities are:

Main routes

Main routes focus on main roads which carry large traffic volume, such as:

  • Bus routes
  • School areas
  • Emergency service areas (fire, police, hospital)
  • Critical areas on hills, curves and bridges

These roads are the first priority roads. They are maintained to a bare pavement condition.

Designated secondary routes

Designated secondary routes focus on the streets that link the main routes. Links could include:

  • Secondary streets; or
  • Residential streets

These streets are the second priority. They are maintained to a centre bare pavement condition.

Secondary routes

Secondary/local routes include all streets that:

  • Are not main routes
  • Are not designated secondary routes
  • Are low volume traffic

These streets are not brought to a bare pavement condition. But are plowed and sanded as necessary to provide safe travel. And are serviced after the main and designated secondary routes have been cleared.

District of Muskoka snow clearing priorities

The District of Muskoka owns and maintains many roads in the Town's limits.  Check the list of District roads if you are unsure who maintains a road.

If you have a plowing concern on a District road, contact:
Snow removal - roads

Snow removal is different to snow plowing. Plowing pushes snow to road edges.

Removal is when crews take away the large banks that pile up on road edges or in parking lots.

Benefits

Benefits of snow removal:

  • Removes “tunneling effect” of snow banks and improves sight lines
  • Reduces amount of sand along the roads for a quicker spring cleanup (not as much sand to sweep up)
  • Reduces amount of sand that washes into the roadside catch basins and ditches in the spring

Reminder

Do not shovel, blow or plow snow out onto a public roadway. Under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act it is illegal.
Snow clearing - parking lots

Town-owned parking lots are generally cleared between midnight and 6 a.m. If a vehicle is parked in a lot between these hours, it may get plowed in.

Parking areas - map

View the parking map to find out where to park safely during the winter months.
Concerns

During snow events, the Public Works crews will be out plowing, salting/sanding. See plowing priorities section on this page for full details.

Report a concern

Before contacting us, please allow some time for our crews to catch up with the snow event. The volume of calls increases a lot during this time.

To inquire or report a concern, please fill out the questions or concerns form or call 705-789-1751, option 5.
Non-winter road maintenance

Non-Winter road maintenance

From April 16th to Oct 31st each year we maintain, sweep, and repair from:

  • Over 417 km of roads
  • About 30 km of sidewalks
  • Town parking lots

Maintenance Standards

The Town is required to meet the Provincial Minimum Standard for Municipal Highways (MMS). The MMS are standards from the Province of Ontario for road maintenance. Standards can vary by road class, speed limit, traffic volume and weather conditions on the roadway.

Hard Top Roads

We have our Roads Needs Study conducted to help identify roads to repair and resurface in our road network. Where feasible, we coordinate work with other infrastructure (i.e. sewer/water main) repairs or road resurfacing projects.

Other Maintenance: Sweeping, line painting, ditching, culverts, roadside mowing, rejuvenation, tree maintenance.

To maintain and preserve our roads, we use typical treatments such as:

  • Pothole repair
  • Brushing to dry out roadways
  • Sweeping
  • Ditching & Culvert Repair
  • Roadside Mowing & Tree Maintenance
  • Crack sealing
  • Line painting
  • Mill & High Float
  • Slurry Seal
  • Asphalt Rejuvenation and Sealing
  • Expanded asphalt with overlay
  • Bridge Washing (Spring)
  • Full reconstruction

Sweeping – Spring street sweeping usually starts near the end of April or early May depending on the weather conditions, it takes approximately 5 weeks to complete.

Please do not push sand or leaves into piles on the road as the sweeper cannot pick them up.

Potholes – Potholes occur on our roadways when:

  • Water seeps into cracks in the pavement.
  • The water builds up and softens the ground under the road.
  • The water freezes and expands, which pushes the pavement up.
  • When the water under the pavement dries, a hole is left beneath the road.
  • The pavement is now weakened. As soon as a car drives over this area, the pavement collapses, leaving behind a pothole.

The Town crews regularly patrol streets to identify potholes and other road deficiencies; but potholes can develop daily when temperatures begin to hover around zero degrees. By reporting potholes, you can help ensure that they are repaired in a timely manner.

All roads within the municipality are required to be maintained in accordance with the Provincial Minimum Maintenance Standards. The minimum maintenance standard sets out the maximum size (area) and depth that a pothole can be before a repair is required. It also sets out the amount of time that is allowed to pass before the repair must be completed and that varies based on the road class. The standard ranges from 4 days for heavily travelled roads to 30 days for roads with lesser amounts of traffic.

Frost Heave/Cross Culvert Dips - This is caused by areas having 2 different compaction ratings and the Frost Heave Cycle having more effect in one area than another.

Reconstruction – between road inspection and Road Needs Study, streets are determined by the level of service required due to ratings. A road might require crack sealing or total reconstruction depending on its rating. Usually when reconstruction is being planned, the Town will brush the road, then ditch and replace culverts. The Town does its best to work with the District of Muskoka and other infrastructure to make sure no future work is planned.
Stone Roads
As soon as weather permits in the spring, roads will be graded to remove potholes. Following this, a second pass of the grader will be completed to crown the roads before applying calcium chloride.
  • Grading
  • Dust Suppression – June 1st to July 1st weather dependant. We use calcium chloride once per year throughout the spring months to control dust.
Seasonally Maintained Roads

These roads are graded once a year. Extra grading or material would be at the Director or designate discretion.

Check the list of District roads if you are unsure who maintains a road.
Concerns
Report a concern

To inquire or report a concern, please fill out the questions or concerns form or call 705-789-1751, option 5.
Road Maintenance Status

In Huntsville, we have a variety of different maintenance statuses for roads. Learn which roads are Summer Maintained, No Winter Maintenace or Unmaintained:

 Summer Maintained roads
  • Buckhorn Rd.
  • Camp Kitchen Rd.
  • Cardwell Lake Rd.
  • Concession 4 & 5 Rd. E
  • Dyer Memorial Rd.
  • East Browns Rd.
  • Hughes Rd.
  • Longs Lake Rd.
  • South Lancelot Rd.
  • Stephenson Rd 1 E.
  • Vernon Shores Ave.
  • West Browns Rd.
  • South Waseosa Lake Rd.
 No Winter Maintenance
  • Ena Dr.
  • Hood Rd.
  • Lions Lookout Pt.
  • Long Pt. Rd.
  • Oudaze Lake Rd.
  • Pitman Bay Rd.
  • Ripple Lane
  • West Point Sands Rd.
 Unmaintained roads
  • Ashworth Rd.
  • Buckhorn Rd.
  • Ceramic Mine Rd. N.
  • Chub Lake Rd.
  • Concession 2 & 3 Rd. W.
  • Concession 4 & 5 Rd. E
  • Estonian Camp Rd.
  • Fish Rock Rd.
  • Jingo Lake Rd.
  • Marsh Rd. W.
  • Maws Hill Rd.
  • North Deer Lake Rd.
  • Parsons Lane
  • Ripple Lane
  • Rome Rd.
  • Summer Leigh Trail
  • Town Line Rd. E.
  • Tucker Lake Rd.
  • Walkers Rd.
  • Ripple & Pallete Lake Rd.
  • Mcdermont Rd.
  • Lynx Lake Rd.
  • Jarvies Rd.
  • Old Centurian Rd.
  • Centurian Trail
  • Lindgren Rd. E
  • Old Cschoolhouse Rd.
  • Rockhaven Rd.
  • West Fox Lake Rd.
  • Keevil Rd.
  • Candytown Lane
  • Beaver Meadow Rd.
  • Stephenson Rd. 2 W.
  • Bethune Rd. N. West
  • Old Aspdin Rd.
  • Fawn Lake Rd.
  • Williamsport Rd.
  • Jessup Lane
  • Tower Rd.
  • Concession 4 & 5 Rd. W
  • Concession 6 & 7 Rd. E
  • District Rd 2 at Boundary

Plans and Studies

 

Bridge Needs Study 2018 (15MB PDF)

 

Sidewalks

Draft Sidewalk Master Plan

A multi-year sidewalk capital plan is being created. 

Purpose

  • Identify existing infrastructure
  • Develop a plan for major sidewalks, minor sidewalks, multi-use pathways
  • Set standards for future growth

Draft plan

Have your say

Help expand the community's sidewalk framework. Join the conversation on myhuntsville.ca

 
Winter sidewalk maintenance

Winter sidewalk maintenance

From Nov 1st to April 15th each year we plow, sand, salt and remove snow from:

  • Over 400 kms of roads
  • About 30 kms of sidewalks
  • Town parking lots

Standards

The Town is required to meet the Provincial Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways (MMS). The MMS are standards from the Province of Ontario for road maintenance. Snow and ice are removed within a specified time frame. Standards can vary by road class, speed limit and traffic volume on a roadway.

 

Snow removal - sidewalks

Sidewalks are maintained during the winter months by Town of Huntsville staff. 

The Town has three sidewalk plows.

  • When three inches of snow has accumulated, crews begin to work on main routes
  • Sidewalks on major roads and streets with schools are first priority
  • Maintained to a snow-packed conditions

Clearing length of time

We aim to have all sidewalks clear within 48 hours.

Reminder

Keep sidewalks by your property or home free and clear of ice and snow. This is required between 9am and 5pm.
Snow clearing - parking lots

Town-owned parking lots are generally cleared between midnight and 6 a.m. If a vehicle is parked in a lot between these hours, it may get plowed in.

Parking areas - map

View the parking map to find out where to park safely during the winter months.
Questions or Concerns

During snow events, the Public Works crews will be out plowing, salting/sanding. 

Report a concern

Before contacting us, please allow some time for our crews to catch up with the snow event. The volume of calls increases a lot during this time.

To inquire or report a concern, please fill out the questions or concerns form or call 705-789-1751, option 5.
Non-winter sidewalk maintenance

Non-Winter sidewalk maintenance

From April 16th to Oct 31st each year we maintain, sweep, and repair from:

  • About 30 km of sidewalks/trails/pathways
  • Town parking lots

Standards

The Town is required to meet the Provincial Minimum Standard for Municipal Highways (MMS). The MMS are standards from the Province of Ontario for road maintenance. Standards can vary by road class, speed limit, traffic volume and weather conditions on the roadway.

 Concerns

Report a concern

To inquire or report a concern, please fill out the questions or concerns form or call 705-789-1751, option 5.
Plans and studies

Bridge Needs Study 2018 (15MB PDF)