Pirna/Annaberg-Buchholz/Plauen (dpa/sn) - Drivers and pedestrians in Saxony must now be prepared for obstructions caused by snow and ice. To ensure that traffic runs as smoothly as possible, municipalities have erected snow fences on roads, especially in the mountains, stocked up on de-icing salt and got the winter service vehicles moving. In the district of Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains alone, around 40 routes have been set for the winter service, which are completed several times in two shifts from 4 a.m. in the morning. The district office in Pirna announced on Friday that work would also be carried out in a three-shift system on selected routes in extreme weather.

In order to prevent larger snowdrifts on roads, around 26 kilometers of snow fences were erected along certain sections of federal, state and district roads in the Erzgebirge district. According to the district office in Annaberg-Buchholz, 56 vehicles from the road maintenance departments and 31 from external service providers are available for the winter season. In order to clear snow from roads, tillers and skids could be attached to the vehicles. A self-propelled snow blower is also available and 17 tons of road salt have been stored.

The city of Plauen pointed out on Friday that snow and ice must also be removed from sidewalks and that the owners of the adjacent properties are responsible for this. The paths must be cleared from 6 a.m. on working days and from 8 a.m. on Sundays and public holidays. The use of salt is only permitted in exceptional cases.

The district office in Pirna recommended that motorists, pedestrians and users of buses and trains generally plan more time in wintry road conditions. In order to reach their destination on time and not to miss the bus and train, they should start a few minutes earlier, they said.