Since January city crews have filled more than 3,700 potholes.
In all of 2017 they filled around 6,300 potholes across the city. Transportation Manager Robert Carroll says the number may seem high but this winter wasn’t all that different.
“We certainly didn’t have the freeze thaw cycles that we’ve had in previous winters. Whereas this year it got cold and stayed cold. The colder weather is better for the roads. You don’t have that constant freezing and thawing. It is one of the main factors that causes potholes to appear in the first place.”
Crews began working on some of the highest priority spots at the beginning of this week. They have already worked on 99 Avenue and 98 Street and also 68 Avenue and Resources Road. Carroll says next they will turn their attention to Wapiti Road.
“Obviously it’s the heaviest traveled piece of road in the city and we’ve got some repairs that we want to do there probably starting next week. Other than that there is some isolated work that we are doing in other areas of the city.”
Carroll says the work will last the crew of 12 to 15 right through the summer construction season. But they do focus their efforts on the highest priority routes to start.
“There’s some residential areas that we move in to and do some necessary repairs. They’re usually later in the year when we get all of our arterial roads completed.”
Carroll was amused by a recent social media post showing vegetables “planted” into parking lot potholes. While Carroll says parking lots are private property and not under their watch he would ask people not to try their own repairs in general.
“If people have a pothole that’s really keeping them awake at night to certainly call our contact centre and report it there.”
He says all those calls are tracked and assessed. They will assess them as they come in and Carroll says crews will work on them as necessary.
Drivers are also reminded to obey all signage and watch for construction crews who will be working around the city during what Carroll calls a “heavy” construction season.