A report is issuing a dire warning about the state of Calgary’s roads.
The report, presented to city council’s infrastructure and planning committee on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 20024, says much of the city’s road network is in need of some major repairs and a massive boost in funding for maintenance.
The report says the City of Calgary currently spends about $2,000/km/year on roads, much less than other big Canadian cities, like Edmonton and Montreal that spend between $12,500 and $17,000 per year on their roads.
The city says Calgary’s road network spans approximately 17,000 km.
A recent assessment shows that 38 per cent of the city’s road network is in good condition, 36 per cent is in fair condition, 26 per cent is in poor condition and 3.2 per cent of the road network is considered below the acceptable threshold.
That means the condition of Calgary’s roads is well below the national average of 60 per cent of roads being in good condition.
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The report says there are several reasons why Calgary’s roads are in such poor shape, including wear and tear from increased traffic and heavier vehicles, weakening of the road base from water leaks, utility repairs, construction and the city’s freeze-thaw cycles that contribute to the formation of potholes and pavement cracks.
Calgary city councillor Evan Spencer describes the state of Calgary’s roads as “an ongoing joke.”
“Local community groups are putting out memes of people having hot tub parties in Calgary potholes. It’s predictable now, every year when the snow melts and the ice thaws it’s not long after when Calgarians are starting to chime in on this really unfortunate topic which is the state of Calgary’s roads,” says Spencer.
The city says when comparing pothole data from January through September 2023 with the same period in 2024, there was an approximate 52 per cent increase in the number of reported potholes through 311.
Spencer says it’s clear the city is getting further and further behind.
“The more the road degenerates the more money it costs to repair it, so there’s a big difference between taking a little bit off the top and refinishing a road versus getting in and repairing deeper damage,” adds Spencer.
The call for spending more money on road maintenance appears to be one that resonates with residents.
A 2024 Spring Survey by the city shows that 88 per cent of Calgarians say council should prioritize spending on roads when making budget decisions with only 46 per cent of respondents satisfied with the state of the city’s roads.
City administration estimates the Calgary currently spends about $47.8M each year on roads, significantly less than the city of Edmonton’s budget of $158.8M.
It is proposing a $76M per year increase boost in funding for road paving and repair in Calgary and says without it, future reconstruction costs could be 5 to 7 times more.
Any recommendations from the infrastructure and planning committee on roads funding will be sent to full city council for consideration later in the fall.
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