Some residents of Fargo have recently asked questions regarding Public Works crews operating in neighborhoods late at night. The City of Fargo would like to explain why members of its Public Works team are operating in residential areas later than normal.
In anticipation of a shift in workload, late-night work is required as Fargo Public Works is cleaning and clearing neighborhood roadways. Alley clearing is especially important and 24-hour maintenance is necessary to clear the alleys in a timely manner. Once the department shifts the focus of its efforts to the flood fight, staff will still be available; however, time for street maintenance will be limited. Beginning next week, Public Works will focus on preparing the streets in areas where the City is potentially planning to deploy flood protection measures.
The City maintains 9,400 on-street drains spread across 2,000 miles of streets. Public Works is working 24 hours a day to clear drains in anticipation of upcoming melting and to ensure ease of access for protection deployment efforts. The amount of work to be completed necessitates Public Works crews to work in residential areas at night.
Crews are also working to remove built-up ice from streets. The ability to do this is dependent on temperatures remaining above freezing, as ice becomes too hard and bonds with pavement at lower temperatures. It often takes ice an entire day to warm up enough to be removed. This can make ice nearly impossible to clear until the evening and overnight hours.