Cleaning crews work overtime to get traffic back on track in NE China

Heavy snow blankets NE China.

Trucks and workers shovel snow on the streets of Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, Nov 18, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]

Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces in northeast China have been battered by a blizzard storm since Saturday. Local weather bureaus have issued alerts, while air and road traffic have been severely affected. But street cleaning crews have been working overtime to keep travelers safe and on the move.

Street cleaners in Changchun form the frontlines of the city's battle against the recent heavy snowfall -- and they're the ones bearing the brunt of the extra workload.

"I showed up at 2:30 this morning. I have cleaned up the snow along the main road, and next I'll clean up the secondary roads."

By 7am, these workers have already been on duty for five to six hours. They've cleared the road four times to ensure it remains safe.

And on Sunday night, when the blizzard forced one section of the Beijing-Harbin expressway in Jilin province to shut down, cleaners once again worked through the night. While traffic is still flowing slowly, and could be suspended again if the weather worsens, hundreds of once-stranded trucks and cars are at least back on the move.

Harbin International Airport also deployed its staff and equipment around the clock to remove snow from the runway and planes.

"The snow can easily cause icy pollutants on the planes' surfaces, which may severely affect the safety of the flight. Planes are forbidden from taking off with such pollutants because accidents could happen." Dai Youchang, general manager of Harbin Airport Flight Affairs Division, said.

Harbin's snow removal measures have so far been effective, with no significant flight delays at the airport. But authorities are still urging passengers to arrive earlier at the airport in case of schedule changes.