The Town of Petawawa is committed to keeping our roads, sidewalks, and transportation network safe, accessible, and well-maintained for everyone — whether you’re walking, biking, or driving.
Our team is responsible for maintaining over 119km of roads across the community. We track all reported concerns and prioritize repairs to keep everything running smoothly.
Here’s what we do to keep you moving safely:
- Maintain roads, sidewalks, curbs, and gutters
- Sweep streets to keep them clean and clear
- Provide snow and ice removal during winter months
- Install and maintain traffic signals, pedestrian crossings, signs, and road markings
If you notice an issue with roads or sidewalks, let us know — we’re here to help keep Petawawa moving!
After Hours Emergency Number
Should you need to contact a member of our Public Works Department after business hours please do so using our number below
County Roads
Did you know that the Town of Petawawa does not own some of the main arterial roads? They belong to the County of Renfrew. Those roads are:
- Petawawa Boulevard;
- Doran Road;
- Murphy Road;
- Paquette Road;
- Laurentian Drive; and
- Victoria Street.
As County roads they are managed and maintained by the County of Renfrew Public Works Department this includes snow clearing and surface repairs along with major construction projects. If you have a concern or wish to inform the County of an issue on any of their roads you can do so by visiting Renfrew County’s website, Roads page, and select the option to Report a Concern.
Other inquiries and concerns regarding these roadways can be directed to Public Works & Engineering for the County of Renfrew.
Garrison Petawawa Roads and North and South Townsite Infrastructure
Did you know that the roads on Garrison Petawawa and those in the North and South town sites are the property of the Federal Government, under management and jurisdiction of the Garrison? Should you have a concern or wish to inform the Garrison of an issue on any of their roads you can do so by contacting the Garrison Public Affairs Officer.
Construction Projects
Each year, the Town identifies construction projects that have the largest benefits, impacts, and scope of work. The below list is a way to understand and communicate some of the larger projects that will take place this year.
The construction projects are selected based on the following criteria
- Condition of individual asset
- Meeting priority of several assets
- Improved Level of Service
- Scope of work
- Construction duration
- Location in relation to other nearby projects and the expected future benefits
- Road classification
- Road user impact
- Impact to neighbours
- Proximity to events, schools, community centres, parks, cycle routes
- Economic impact and Government funding
Entrance Permits
Any construction done to your entrance way requires proper permits. An entrance Way shall mean any driveway, laneway, private road, entrance, bridge or other structure or facility constructed or used as a means of access to a Town road and includes the tiling and covering or filling in of a roadside ditch for the purpose of improving a lawn or frontage.
Visit our Permits page for more information.
Winter Snow Removal
The Town of Petawawa is dedicated to keeping our 119 km of roads, sidewalks, and municipal parking lots safe and accessible during the winter months. Snow clearing is carefully planned and prioritized to ensure the greatest number of users benefit in the shortest amount of time.
Every road is part of a predefined plow route designed to make the best use of Town staff and equipment.
During extreme weather, when normal service levels can’t be maintained, the Town may declare a Significant Weather Event. This allows for temporary delays in service, but rest assured — operations will resume as soon as it’s safe and practical, following our winter control policy.
What can I do to help Town staff?
Be patient. In heavy snowfalls it takes us longer to get all our streets and sidewalks cleared.
Be a good neighbour. Help those who may not be able to shovel their driveways.
Don’t park on the street during a snowfall – or immediately following a snowfall. Parked cars are obstacles that slow down plowing operations. Contravention of the Parking By-law 257/2003, Section 2.8, Snow Clearing/Removal-Parking-Seasonal Restrictions; your vehicle may be ticketed or towed.
Keep garbage cans and recycling bins back in your driveway 5-6 feet from road edge so that plows can efficiently clear roadways. And please keep garbage cans and recycling bins off the sidewalks and snowbanks.
Winter Parking & Snow Removal Restrictions
Parking
Town of Petawawa Parking By-law states:
“No person shall park a vehicle on any highway within the municipality:
- From 1:00 am to 7:00 am, November 15th to March 31st
- At any time when accumulated snowfall exceeds or is expected to exceed 5 cm, or;
- During any snow removal or clearing operation.”
Failure to abide by these regulations may result in the offending vehicle being ticketed and/or towed at the owner’s expense.
Snow Removal by Residents
Town of Petawawa Special Events By-law 819/13 (General Prohibitions)
- No person shall place, or cause to be placed, ice or snow from private property or from a boulevard, onto a sidewalk or traveled portion of a highway ($250.00 fine)
- No person shall deposit, or cause to be deposited, ice or snow on a boulevard that is not directly adjacent to their property, including but not limited to snow pushed or deposited across a roadway or highway ($125.00 fine)
- No person shall place, or cause to be placed, ice or snow from private property or from a boulevard, onto the private property of another person($125.00 fine)
- No person shall place, or cause to be placed, ice or snow from private property or from a boulevard, in such a manner as to obstruct or hinder the access to any fire hydrant or emergency water stand within the Municipality ($500.00 fine)
- No person shall pile, redistribute or otherwise cause the accumulation of snow on a sidewalk or traveled portion of a highway, within the municipality, in such a manner as to obstruct traffic, the view of traffic, or obstruct in any way, the movement of snow clearing equipment under the jurisdiction of the Public Works Department ($250.00 fine)
- No person, shall move, place or operate any equipment, vehicle or material on any part of a road or highway such that damage to the road surface, curbs, sidewalks or municipal services results from their actions ($500.00 fine).
Snow Forts
As snow banks emerge throughout the Town, Public Works crews remind parents to warn children that snow forts and tunnels are extremely dangerous.
Playing in snow forts and tunnels poses a very serious risk of snow collapsing and of trapping a child. There is also a great danger to children playing in areas where snow removal and clearing takes place.
Waste and Recycling Pick-up
Snow banks also present problems for refuse and recycling collection crews. Please place garbage containers, recycling and green bins five (5) feet back from the curb or pavement edge in the driveway to permit proper snow removal and avoid damage to collection containers.
The Town of Petawawa thanks the public for its co-operation and assistance in keeping children and workers safe during the winter season.
Town Roads Vs. County Roads
The County of Renfrew maintains the following arterial routes that run within Town of Petawawa boundaries:
- County Road 16 – Victoria Street from Petawawa Boulevard to Laurentian Drive
- County Road 25 – Laurentian Drive
- County Road 26 – Doran Road
- County Road 37 – Murphy Road from Petawawa Boulevard to Highway 417
- County Road 51 – Petawawa Boulevard
- County Road 55 – Paquette Road
County Maintenance consists of snow plowing and salting/sanding of roads, road patching, line painting, sign maintenance, and spring street sweeping.
Petawawa staff will remove snowbanks from certain County roads, and will also maintain sidewalks running adjacent to County roads.
Which roads are plowed first, and how is that decided?
Town roads are designated as secondary streets and residential streets. Secondary streets are linked to County roads, and may include school zones. These streets are cleared sooner than residential streets.
Examples of secondary streets are:
- Airport Road
- Black Bay Road
- Civic Centre Road including Leeder Lane
- Golf Course Road
- Herman Street
- Mohns Avenue
- Portage Road
Residential streets are built up areas with high concentration of homes. Examples of residential streets are:
- Country Lane
- East Street
- Fairway Drive
- Hoffman Street
- Riverstone Trail
- Selkirk Street
Who determines which streets get plowed first?
Petawawa has adopted Regulation 239/02 which is part of the Municipal Act. The regulation lays out maintenance standards for road segments based on traffic counts. Roads are categorized into five main classes.
Class 1, 2, and 3: first priority roads consist of primary (arterial) and secondary routes.
Class 4 and 5: less priority roads consist of residential streets, cul-de-sacs, and gravel roads.
When are sidewalks cleared of snow and ice?
Typically, sidewalk winter control operations start an hour or two after road plowing commences. The Town sidewalk network consists of 44 kilometres of concrete or asphalt sidewalks and pathways. Town staff can typically clear all sidewalks in one 8-hour shift; if all machines are out, no mechanical issues occur, and if we receive less than 10 centimetres of snowfall. Larger snowfalls of greater than 10 cm take longer to clear.
Sidewalk tractors are not the same as a road plow. A sidewalk plow will scrape most of the ice and snow off a sidewalk.
When the snow banks get too high, staff use snow blower attachments. The snow blowers are designed to leave a thin layer of snow, and they slide on the snow, rather than dragging on bare concrete.
Sidewalk tractors apply a mix of salt and sand to assist with traction and also to loosen up frozen snow and ice.
It is very important to understand that a sidewalk does not “bare off” like an asphalt roadway. In some cold stretches of winter, it is not uncommon to have snow covered sidewalks for a few weeks until the weather warms and allows staff to scrape off the buildup of snow and ice.
When is salt and sand used on roads?
Salt use is required to prevent the formation of ice, or to melt existing ice and snow. It is spread only on paved roads. Town plow trucks use modern spreader technology to disperse salt at the proper time, and in the proper quantity, depending upon conditions in an effort to control usage.
Sand is used on snow packed and gravel streets, or when temperatures fall below minus 15 which makes salt ineffective.
Does the municipality come back to remove snow its plows have dumped in my driveway?
Owners and/or occupants of residential and business properties are responsible for keeping driveways clear down to the street. Because street plowing operations push snow from the road to the road side, this does fill in driveways. Unfortunately, the municipality does not have the resources to come back to remove snow left by its plows at the end of the driveway.
How come the plow damages my sod and when is it going to be repaired?
Sod damage is the result of two factors:
- The plow operator may have difficulty finding the sidewalk or the edge of the road under a blanket of snow; or
- If the ground is not frozen before the first snowfall.
Once the plows have been out a few times and the sidewalk units have cleared their respective sidewalk routes further damage is minimal. If the sod was damaged during the first passes of the season, then the damage may not be discovered until the snow melts.
Homeowners are encouraged to repair plow damage to their properties, since Town staff usually do not repair damage to sod until late May when the winter season is over and staff are available for this work.
Is it okay to push snow onto the roadway or to the boulevard area across the street?
Under the Highway Traffic Act, placing snow or ice on a roadway is prohibited. Residents are to keep snow pushed by the plows on their property.
What if I am unable to clear the snow from my property because of age or disability?
Unfortunately, snow removal services for seniors and individuals with disabilities are not available from municipal crews. You may be able to get assistance from a family member, a friend or a neighbour. There are also a number of private snow clearing firms who also provide this service.
The snow bank at the corner is too high and I cannot see oncoming traffic. What can be done?
Every attempt is made to keep snow banks at corners to a minimum. Special concerns should be directed to the Public Works Department.
Significant Weather Event
Reminders & Notices
MUNICIPAL 511 - Road Conditions / Closures
Municipal511 is a public website for visitors to see what is occurring on local, county and provincial roads. The Town of Petawawa updates Municipal511 whenever a road construction project begins and will provide information on road closures, detours in place, and project timelines