Four days after Montreal was hit with a record-setting snowfall, city crews are still plowing through on streets and sidewalks to meet their Jan. 7 clearing deadline.

About 42 per cent of the city has been cleared, according to city spokesperson Michel Frenette.

The city previously announced that some workers dedicated to snow clearing would take a break starting this evening and continuing into tomorrow as required by provincial regulations.

Frenette said the clearing would continue tonight in the Ville Marie borough, where workers had already taken a break. Seven other boroughs will also have some crews working tomorrow evening, he said.

The city is again urging residents to respect temporary no-parking signs and to ensure that garbage bins don't interfere with snow clearing operations.

"If they don't, it will slow the operations down significantly," he said.

Frenette said as of this morning, 1,700 vehicles had been towed out of the way of snow clearing operations.

The city said it believes it will hit its clearing target, set for the Sunday before most people return to work after the holidays.

The cost of the snow clearing hasn't been finalized, but the city estimated it wouldn't exceed $25 million.