1. Who is responsible for maintaining and rehabilitating the Route 1 highway?
Gateway Operations, in partnership with the Province of New Brunswick, is responsible
for the operation, maintenance and rehabilitation (OMR) of the Route 1 highway limits
and its affiliated roadside assets based on following defined project specifications
and levels of services. Gateway’s responsibility extends from the periods of June
01, 2011 and June 30, 2040.
2. What are the limits of the Route 1 highway maintained and rehabilitated by Gateway
Operations?
The Route 1 limits operated, maintained and rehabilitated by Gateway Operations,
extend from km marker 0 in St. Stephen to km marker 239* in River Glade and includes:
- All multi-lanes complete with road and road side assets
- All ramp exits and entrances complete with road and road side assets
- All overpass and underpass structures
*The following areas are operated, maintained and rehabilitated by others:
- Saint John Harbour Bridge limits as defined below:
o Multi-lanes between kilometer marker 120.6 and kilometer marker 123.0
o Eastbound on ramp at Exit 120 (Market Place)
o Ramps at Exit 121 (Chesley Drive)
o Ramps at Exit 122 (Market Square)
- Intersecting roads which cross over or under the Route 1 highway.
- The maintenance of the snow and ice control services on intersecting roads extending
over and under the Route 1 highway.
3. What are the Snow and Ice Control levels of service for the Route 1 highway and
how are they achieved?
The levels of services for snow and ice control on the Route 1 highway are detailed
here, and are scheduled between the periods of October 15th and April 15th, annually.
Gateway’s primary methods for achieving the levels of services for snow and ice control
include the following:
24/7. In general, the highway receives regular patrols by trained highway supervisors
for monitoring condition of highway as needed to;
o ensure road and road side assets are free of any immediate hazards or defects
o dispatch work crews for snow and ice control services, and/or other services as
warranted.
o report road conditions for the NB511 website
This service involves the direct application of liquids, either liquid sodium chloride
(salt brine) or salt brine blended with beet juice, applied to the road surfaces
in advance of a forecasted winter storm or frost event. This service is only scheduled
when conditions warrant. The performance of this service depends largely on pavement
temperatures, climatic conditions and the material of choice. In general, materials
lose effectiveness as temperatures fall below freezing. Salt brine is the general
choice of material when pavement temperatures are -7°C and rising. In colder temperatures,
and generally -15°C and rising, a blend of salt brine and beet juice is typically
applied as this material is intended to have longer performance expectations during
a storm. Anti-icing is not scheduled during extreme cold temperatures and or when
rain is forecasted.
This service generally begins when snow accumulations reach a depth of 2cms on the
roadway. Plowing is continuous during the storm event with brief interruptions for
fueling and/or reloading of snow and ice control materials for de-icing. Plowing
is conducted with combination plow trucks that are dedicated to specific routes as
further described in the plow route maps. Each plow route will typically take approximately
2 hours to complete during ideal conditions. Plow cycle times are expected to exceed
2 hours during inclement weather conditions, blowing snow and reduced visibility.
This service is the application of snow and ice control materials during plowing
operations. There are a variety of snow and ice control materials, each having various
performance characteristics and limitations.
De-icing is intended to facilitate the mechanical removal of snow and ice from the
roadway by applying dry road salt and/or dry road salt with pre-wetting liquid. The
choice of pre-wetting material for Route 1 will consist of the following:
o Liquid sodium chloride (referred to as salt brine) – becomes ineffective below
-10°C
o Salt brine blended with liquid Beet Juice – becomes ineffective below -13°C
o Liquid calcium chloride – becomes ineffective below -15°C
When pavement temperatures fall below -15°C snow and ice control materials will have
no effect. In these circumstances sand may be applied in slippery sections.
- Snow Removal services will generally begin at the conclusion of a winter storm once
the travel lanes have been cleared. Snow removal services are conducted with various
snow blowing and heavy equipment as needed to remove snow from shoulders in front
of barrier walls and guiderails as further explained in our levels of service.
4. Do pavement temperatures have any effect on snow and ice control (SNIC) materials
and when are SNIC materials applied?
Yes, pavement temperatures influence the performance expectations of SNIC materials,
as do other conditions such as cloud cover, humidity, wind, traffic and moisture.
Each SNIC material, either intended for anti-icing or de-icing, has limited performance
expectations and will be applied as conditions warrant in strict accordance with
project specifications.
5. What is Anti-icing and when/why is it applied to road surfaces?
Anti-icing is a pro-active application of liquid snow and ice control materials applied
to the road surface with specialized equipment in advance of a forecasted frost or
snow storm event. The selection of anti-icing materials will depend on availability,
environmental constraints and performance. The choice of anti-icing materials for
Route 1 are included here.
Anti-icing is only intended to keep the roads from frosting or freezing up at the
beginning of the winter storm, enabling plow trucks to complete their first plowing
(de-icing) cycle during the storm. Anti-icing is not intended to reduce or replace
plowing or de-icing operations during a winter storm. In general, it is intended
to facilitate the removal of snow and ice at the beginning of a storm. Anti-icing
is also intended to mitigate the development of snow pack and/or frost from developing
on road surfaces during the early part of a winter storm.
In the absence of anti-icing and/or when conditions are unsuitable for anti-icing,
the road at the beginning of a winter storm is exposed to slippery driving conditions.
These slippery conditions are a hazard and will generally remain present until pavement
temperatures increase above freezing and/or until such time that de-icing operations
are activated and completed.
6. What is De-icing and when/why is it applied to road surfaces?
De-icing is the reactive application of snow and ice control materials applied to
road surfaces via combination plow trucks during a winter storm event. De-icing
materials are intended to lower the melting point of snow and ice facilitating their
mechanical removal from roadway surfaces during plowing operations. The selection
of de-icing materials will depend on availability, environmental constraints and
performance. The choices of de-icing materials for Route 1 are included here.
7. What is Road Salt and when is it effective?
Road Salt is sodium chloride, an inorganic material spread on road surfaces during
de-icing operations to facilitate the mechanical removal of snow and ice from the
road surfaces.
Road salt is an efficient snow and ice control material for melting snow and ice
from road surfaces and is particularly effective when the pavement temperatures are
near or slightly below freezing. However, road salt becomes less effective as pavement
temperatures drop and ineffective when pavement temperatures fall below -10°C.
8. What is Salt Brine?
Salt brine is liquid sodium chloride, comprised of road salt and clean water blended
at a 23% concentration by weight. Salt brine can be applied to the road surfaces
via one or more of the following:
- anti-icing operations as a direct liquid application in advance of a winter storm
- de-icing operations as a pre-wetting material for dry road salt during a winter storm
9. What are pre-wetting materials and why are they used?
Pre-wetting materials have many functions and benefits. Pre-wetting materials are
applied to dry road salt applications during de-icing operations. Prewetting materials
may consist of one or more of the following:
- Salt Brine
- agricultural organic bi-products (i.e. beet juice)
- inorganic chloride materials (i.e. calcium chloride)
The primary reasons for pre-wetting dry salt during de-icing operations will vary
depending on the chosen materials and road conditions, but are intended to achieve
the following benefits:
- Expedites the chemical reaction of road salt to salt brine by adding moisture. Road
salt does not melt snow and ice. Road salt requires moisture and heat to form a
chemical reaction to melt snow and ice.
- Increases the performance level for melting snow and ice when pavement temperatures
are too cold for road salt to remain effective.
10. What are the different snow and ice control (SNIC) materials and what is common
to Route 1?
There are a variety of snow and ice control (SNIC) materials in the market as listed
in Table 1 below, all having specific characteristics, properties, performance, availability,
cost and impact. The selection of SNIC materials will primarily depend on availability,
environmental constraints and performance.

The SNIC materials chosen for Route 1 will consist of the following:
- Chloride salts (inorganic products);
o Sodium chloride in form of solids and liquids for de-icing and anti-icing respectively.
o Calcium chloride in the form of liquids for de-icing
o Agriculture bi-products (such as beet juice) in the form of liquids for de-icing
and anti-icing.
11. Is sand used on Route 1?
Sand is an abrasive material that offers no melting capability and is technically
not considered a snow and ice control material. Roads with a high level of service,
such as Route 1, will restrict the use of sand as it has negative environmental impacts
and no melting capacity. Sand is generally only applied to slippery sections on
Route 1 when pavement temperatures are too cold for snow and ice control materials
to remain effective.
12. What are plow routes and plow cycles?
Each plow truck has a designated plow route to follow during a winter storm event.
A plow cycle is the time calculated for a plow truck to complete its full plow route.
Plow routes are designed based on a theoretical plowing speed, generally 42 km/hr,
and calculated by a distance resulting in a set plow cycle time. This cycle time
excludes brief interruptions for refueling and replenishing plow trucks. Plow cycle
times are generally less than 2 hours for a high level of service and greater than
2 hours for lower levels of service.
Route 1 is comprised of 8 plow routes assigned to multi-lanes and 9 plow routes assigned
to ramps. Each plow route has a plow truck assigned to each travel lane. Multi-lanes
include 2 travel lanes and ramps include generally one travel lane. The plow cycle
times for Route 1 are designed not to exceed 108 minutes, considering that additional
cycle time is needed for refueling and replenishing plow trucks. In general, each
plow truck will travel approximately 80 kilometers to complete its plow route and
will typically complete the route in less than 2 hours under ideal circumstances.
It is important to note that plow routes will have a longer plow cycle time during
extreme conditions and reduced visibility. A map of each plow route can be viewed
here: http://www.gatewayoperations.ca/sprm.html
13. What are the typical speeds for plow trucks?
A safe travelling speed for a plow truck during a winter storm is approximately 42
km/hr. This speed is also considered a theoretical plowing speed for determining
plow cycle times. This is considered industry standard. Plowing speeds greater
than 50km/hr are generally not permitted due to the increased risk of accidents and
damages to road side assets. Plow speeds less than 42 km/hr are required during
extreme conditions and reduced visibility.
14. What Plowing Configurations are designed for Route 1?
The plowing configurations designed for Route 1 incorporate both independent and
tandem plowing based on specific routes and cycle times as outlined in the plow route
maps. The preferred configuration is independent plowing which is intended to accommodate
traffic flow more effectively than tandem plowing. However, independent plowing is
generally restricted to day time hours and cannot be deployed in areas containing
insufficient median space for snow storage capacity or where concrete median walls/barrier
devices are present. In these cases, the tandem plowing configuration will be deployed.
Regardless of the plowing configuration, each plow truck will work in unison of each
other moving snow from the roadway in one pass.
15. What is independent plowing?
Independent plowing is when two or more plow trucks, separated by a safe distance
to accommodate traffic flow (preferably at least 1-kilometer separation), are moving
snow independent of each other on a multi-lane. In this configuration the lead plow
truck, located in the passing lane, will move snow towards the left side and the
rear plow truck, located in the driving lane, will move snow towards the right side.
Due to the large separation between plow trucks, this configuration accommodates
the movement of traffic. Independent plowing is only possible in cases where there
is sufficient snow storage capacity in the median and cannot be deployed in areas
containing concrete median walls/barrier wall devices.
16. What is tandem plowing?
Tandem plowing is when two or more plow trucks, working with little separation, are
moving snow across a multi-lane in one direction, generally towards the right. In
this configuration, the lead plow truck, generally located in the passing lane, will
move snow to the driving lane where the rear plow truck, located in the driving lane,
will further move snow towards the right side. When tandem plowing is in effect,
motorists are reminded it is not safe to pass plow trucks and are advised to remain
behind plowing operations until the plow trucks. The opportunity for passing plowing
operations will become available when the plow trucks separate a safe distance from
each other or are in an independent plowing configuration.
17. When is it safe to pass plow trucks on multi-lanes?
It is safer to remain behind plow trucks during winter operations; however, motorists
will have an opportunity to pass plow trucks during the following:
- when plow trucks (lead and rear plow trucks) are separated a safe distance from each
other to enable the movement of traffic between the plow trucks; or
- when plow trucks are working in an independent plowing configuration
It is not advisable to pass plow trucks when they are working in a tandem plowing
configuration and/or during nighttime operations. During tandem plowing operations,
snow windrows develop between the lead and rear plow trucks resulting in a hazard
should motorists attempt to pass between the plows.
An independent plowing configuration will be adopted for all areas of the Route 1
highway with the exception of the following areas that contain median barrier walls
and/or median continuous guiderails requiring a tandem plowing configuration:
- km marker 5.5 to km marker 7.6
- km marker 51.7 to km marker 53.4
- km marker 118.5 to km marker 126.7,
- km marker 129.5 to km marker 130.1
- km marker 132.8 to km marker 134.2
- km marker 231.3 to km marker 233.7
- Additional areas as snow storage in the median becomes limited
In general, plows will begin transitioning from independent plowing to tandem plowing
in advance of median barrier walls and/or median continuous guiderail locations.
Further, plows will begin transitioning from tandem plowing to independent plowing
as soon as reasonably possible following the departure of median barrier walls and/or
median continuous guiderail locations.
18. Why is there more snow observed on the passing lane of a multi-lane during or
shortly after a winter storm?
In the case of the Route 1 multi-lanes, the passing lane receives the same level
of service as the driving lane. There is one plow truck assigned to the passing
lane and a second plow truck assigned to the driving lane during each snow storm
event. Snow is expected to accumulate on both travel lanes between plowing cycles.
In most cases, traffic volumes are higher in the driving lane as opposed to the
passing lane which will lead to the redistribution of snow accumulation from the
driving lane to the passing lane resulting in additional snow accumulation on the
passing lane. This circumstance may lead to a perception that the passing lane is
receiving less service than the driving lane.
19. Why do some sections of highway appear to be in better condition than others
during a winter storm?
In the case of Route 1, all sections of highway receive the same level of service
with plow trucks continuously plowing their assigned routes throughout a winter storm.
The condition of Route 1 extending from St. Stephen to River Glade will vary depending
on:
- localized weather patterns
- the timing and/or transition of the winter storm along the highway
- the location of the plow trucks at any given time.
As Route 1 incorporates 8 separate plow routes for multi-lanes and 9 separate plow
routes for ramps, plow trucks will be at different locations along the highway throughout
the storm. As the plows continue to move snow along their designated routes, the
section of highway directly behind the plows will have less snow accumulation as
opposed to the section of highway in front of the plows. During a storm, this circumstance
may lead to an incorrect perception that some sections receive a greater level of
service than others. Plow trucks will continue moving snow until the final level
of service has been achieved in all sections of highway.
20. Are the plow routes and plow truck locations available to the public?
To understand the designated plow route(s) in your area, visit: http://www.gatewayoperations.ca/sprm.html.
To view the location of our plow trucks during a winter storm, in real-time, visit:
http://www.gatewayoperations.ca/spl.html
21. Where might the public learn about current road conditions, travel advisories
and construction activities for Route 1?
Road conditions are illustrated on the NB511 site. The information included on the
NB511 site for Route 1 is as reported by the Highway Supervisors responsible for
road patrolling. The schedule for Road Patrolling is as follows:
- Winter patrol (Nov 01st to March 31st) is continuous 24 hours per day based on 2
shifts.
- Summer patrol (April 01st to Oct 31st) is 7 days per week (generally 10 hours per
day during day light hours) and on call for emergencies.
During the winter season, road conditions on Route 1 are reported a minimum of 3
times daily (generally at 6am, 10am and 2pm) and additionally when road conditions
change. Descriptions of the terminology adopted for reporting road conditions are
as defined in the provincial NB web site under ‘Definitions’ (available here).
Travel advisories and/or construction activities for Route 1 are also posted on NB
511, as warranted and reported by the Highway Supervisors during both summer and
winter seasons. The descriptions of the terminology adopted for travel advisories
are as defined in the provincial NB web site under ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ (available
here).