Recent berms of snow that have been making access challenging for downtown pedestrians will begin disappearing this weekend. City of Minot street crews plan to begin removing snow on Sunday.

According to the City of Minot, crews will remove snow overnight on streets and avenues in the downtown area, including Main Street, in accordance with existing parking regulations. The schedule for next week is:

– 11 p.m. Sunday to 7 a.m. Monday: Downtown streets.

– 11 p.m. Monday to 7 a.m. Tuesday: Downtown avenues.

– 11 p.m. Tuesday to 7 a.m. Wednesday: Downtown streets.

– 11 p.m. Wednesday to 7 a.m. Thursday: Downtown avenues.

Crews will continue cleaning until the job is completed, working on streets and avenues on alternating days.

“It’s been a challenging year for snow removal for sure,” said Josh Wolsky, interim director for the Downtown Business & Professional Association, in a statement for the association. “We’re glad to see the City has put downtown on the schedule to help clear and remove the piles and berms starting Sunday, and we’re keeping our fingers crossed that weather will hold and allow them to stay focused on that important task.”

Minot Street Superintendent Kevin Braaten encourages downtown residents to follow parking regulations to help his crews remove snow more efficiently. Vehicles parked in the way of snow removal crews could be towed with assistance from the Minot Police Department if they aren’t moved by the owners.

“If there are vehicles parked on the streets or avenues where we are working, it really slows down the process,” Braaten said in a city release. “We don’t want to tow anyone’s vehicle, but we may have to in order to clear snow from downtown. We’re asking residents to follow the parking regulations to make sure they aren’t parked on the streets or avenues where we’re working. That will make our job a lot easier.”

This is the third time city crews have removed snow from the downtown area this winter, Braaten said.