As the snow melts once again, city of Bend street crews get ahead of schedule on other projects, tasks

(Update: Adding video, comments from the city of Bend)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Some warmer than usual days this winter are allowing for more crucial work on city streets.

"It's actually a benefit like whenever we get a lot of call an early start on our construction season," Charles Swann, manager of the city's Street Operations Division, said Monday.

The work the city street crews handle is year-round, of course. But with this year's mild winter, crews are tackling projects that would normally be hard to do during a harsh winter. 

Crews also work on right-of-way improvements and potholes. Near Pine Tavern in downtown Bend, crews were quick to get to work.

ADA Concrete Lead Ken Combs said, "Today, we were working on a Brooks Alley project. We're installing gate bases so that we could prevent traffic from going the wrong direction down the one-way alley."

Currently, crews are pouring concrete and working on sidewalk projects. 

"I've got a fairly new crew," Combs said, "but just one or two years of experience and being able to do these extra synergy projects for other divisions, this electrical stuff for our parking manager, it gives them a broader experience."

With the snow melted from the recent winter storms, city streets also were left with lots of sand. Crews work two shifts a day to get it cleaned up before it lands in storm drains, or the Deschutes River. 

But sweeping and potholes aren't the only thing keeping crews busy. Preparing for future season projects is always top of mind. 

Swann said, "Crews are actually preparing for our summer construction season, which would be our slurry seal program, chip seal programs and our paving. They do a lot of the ADA work that's triggered by PROWAG (Public Right of Way Accessibility Guidelines), federal regulations that require us to update and improve handicapped access."

While crews are sweeping, trying to get rid of the sand, the machines can also gather pine needles and debris. Everything that is picked up is then taken to the landfill.