LEWISTON – Snow crews are behind schedule in clearing city sidewalks following this month’s heavy snow falls.

Public Works Director Dave Jones said his crews and those from the recreation department are working to clear some sidewalks as quickly as possible.

“But some of them are buried under so much snow, the little sidewalk machines can’t do it,” Jones said. “Those are going to have to wait until we can go in and haul the snow out.”

The problem is the amount of snow that has fallen so far. The city averages about 70 inches of snow each winter. The last two storms have already dumped about 30 inches.

“We’ve used up almost half of our budget, and it’s not even Christmas yet,” Jones said.

Public works crews concentrate on clearing sidewalks immediately around schools and along the major outlying streets, Jones said. They include outer Lisbon, Main, Sabattus and College streets and East Avenue.

Recreation department crews concentrate on the downtown sidewalks between Maple and Main streets and Lisbon to Bartlett streets.

Jones said he thinks both crews are doing a good job, but there have been complaints.

Ed Stanhope, a postal carrier who works downtown, said he worries that kids are going to get hit by cars along Bartlett Street. Piles of snow on the sidewalks there force them to walk in the street.

“I walk in the street there every day, but I’m a big blue lump in the road and those cars can see me,” Stanhope said. “Those kids, it’s easier to miss them. They’re all over the street, and I’m worried that one is going to get hit.”

Jones said crews are scheduled to plow those sidewalks, but so far their machines haven’t made a dent in the piles.

“The sidewalk is right next to the street, so it gets buried deeper every time the plow goes by,” Jones said. “Plus, it has all the driveways and parking lots there. There’s no way our crews will be able to clear that until we can move some of that snow out of there.”

staylor@sunjournal.com

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