Snow plowing in Andover, MA: reserve your season pass

Plowing a driveway in Andover

Andover is a large town of about 32 square miles and 450 lane miles of plowed road. It has historic villages, such as Ballardvale and Shawsheen Village, and local news coverage of the town's housing plan says single-family homes dominate, so most plowing work is a standard residential driveway. The DPW uses staff and contractors, and a typical plow route takes 3 to 4 hours. Priority goes to main roads and public safety sites, then collector roads, then residential streets, with cul-de-sacs after that. The town also puts sand barrels around town, and asks residents to mark mailboxes, rocks and lawn ornaments near the road with snow stakes.

When the Chief of Police approves a snow emergency, a parking ban covers all town streets until it is lifted. No one may park on any street, and violators are ticketed and towed at the owner's expense. Cars blocking the end of a driveway may also be towed. For most homes, the cleared driveway is the only safe place for cars on those days. The town says pushing snow from private property into or across the street is both dangerous and illegal.

The town will not plow private roadways unless it has agreed to, so private lanes and shared drives need their own plowing. Town crews normally do not plow sidewalks until all roads are done, and downtown property owners clear their own sidewalks. A seasonal plan that does the final apron pass after the town plow comes through keeps snow on your property. For plow questions, the Highway Division number is 978-623-8800.