HANCOCK – The recent heavy snowfall has kept the employees of the Hancock Department of Public Works busy, and Wednesday the Hancock City Council got an update on their activity from Bill Marlor.

Marlor, who is DPW director, said although some residents have asked when the snow will be cleared from their streets, the streets which get the most traffic, especially the state trunklines of M-203 and U.S. 41, are cleared first.

“The roads which are used the most get priority,” he said.

Because of the heavy snowfall, Marlor said banks of snow are being cut to widen the streets and to remove snow from sidewalks. People have been walking in the traffic lanes on some streets, including Hancock Street.

Crews have been working through the night to get the snow removed, Marlor said.

“The night crew is working overtime hauling snow,” he said.

Marlor said in the last five days, crews have worked 180 hours of overtime getting the snow removed.

“That’s pretty significant,” he said.

City Manger Glenn Anderson said most years, snow is hauled to the city storage area next to the Houghton County Fairgrounds only once during a winter.

“The last couple years, we had to haul it twice,” he said.

Marlor said coordinating the movements of vehicles for the cutting of banks and hauling snow sometimes “looks like a ballet.”

There have been few complaints from residents about the snow removal, Marlor said.

“The public, for the most part, has been very patient,” he said.

There have been problems with some vehicles being parked on the streets during the winter parking ban hours, according to Hancock Police Chief Wayne Butler.

“Some are more than parked on the road,” he said. “They’re just left in the middle of the road.”