Drivers faced with slick city streets in Saskatoon

Drivers had a slippery start to November in Saskatoon.

After the city’s first large snowfall of the season overnight, vehicles struggled to make it up an incline on Taylor Street East between Kingsmere Road and Acadia Drive Wednesday morning.

People were seen getting out of vehicles to help push others who were stuck in the area.

Tyler Stewart shared his experience in the area on the 650 CKOM Facebook page.

He wrote that it took him an hour to drive the one-and-a-half kilometre stretch between McKercher and Acadia drives.

“There was a school bus sideways on the road,” he wrote. “I finally got up far enough to pull over and pushed the bus out … before trying to continue myself.”

Ward 9 Coun. Bev Dubois told 650 CKOM she contacted city administration to find out what went wrong.

She was told that the streets were warm when the snow began to fall, which changed the outcome of the city’s efforts.

“Taylor Street was treated with salt overnight, but with the accumulation of the snow, it just outpaced the salt’s ability to melt the snow and then it turns into ice,” Dubois said.

“Then what happens is the plows and graders can’t move that.”

ICY HILL: Drivers not equipped with AWD or winter tires not able to make it up Taylor St EB between Kingsmere and Acadia. Expect delays #yxe pic.twitter.com/fnyqIKr5ck

— CKOM Traffic (@ckomtraffic) November 1, 2017

ICY HILL UPDATE: One driver just couldn't make it up Taylor St EB at Kingsmere. So back they went! @cityofsaskatoon #yxe #saltplease pic.twitter.com/hBBZYdyytp

— CKOM Traffic (@ckomtraffic) November 1, 2017

According to police, there were 15 crashes in the city between 6 a.m. – 1 p.m. Wednesday.

The incidents varied from single to multi-vehicle crashes, on main roads and side streets, across Saskatoon.

As of 9 a.m., no serious collisions or injuries had been reported.

Police are asking drivers to slow down, allow more space between themselves and the vehicle in front of them, and add more time for driving.

— With files from 650 CKOM’s Chris Carr and Jay Thomas.