It’s that time of year again when the focus of Edmonton drivers shifts from snow to potholes.
While City of Edmonton road crews work to repair potholes year round, spring is when the work really ramps up. So far this year, 63,753 potholes have been filled.
“Our dedicated pothole repair crews are hard at work year round to help keep Edmonton’s roads safe, reliable and accessible for everyone,” said Caitlin Zerebeski, acting director of Infrastructure Maintenance with the city.
Potholes are a result of the weather cycles experienced in Edmonton.
“Potholes are a reality of a northern climate. Edmonton is a northern climate so they are a reality of our freeze/thaw cycles and our weather systems,” Zerebeski said.
They’re also more common on older roads.
“It’s common to see those in older areas that haven’t gone through rehabilitation yet,” Zerebeski said.
Gurjit Grewal is a local delivery driver who works out of Atchinson. He drives his flat-deck semi-truck anywhere from 300 to 400 kilometres per day, making deliveries in and around Edmonton.
“It’s getting worse and worse, especially if you’re around the Anthony Henday and 97 Street — between 66 and 97 streets. We feel the bumps on the truck a lot. We have to watch our loads. We have to slow down before we get to those bumps,” he explained.
“97 Street is pretty (bad) right now, even the Yellowhead.”
Grewal said he’s reported several potholes to the city through the 311 app. He would like to see the roads repaired faster than they are right now.
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“In the truck, we feel a lot,” he said. “Our seat goes down and bounces back on the top — sometimes we hit ourselves on the roof.”
To lower the impact, Grewal said he often slows down. On the Anthony Henday, that usually means slowing down to about 90 kilometres an hour.
“That makes people mad. They try and cut around and I don’t know what I can do.”
Drivers can report potholes to the city by calling 311 or going online. Zerebeski said about 7,000 notifications have come in through 311 so far this year.
Beyond responding to pothole reports made to 311, the city said road crews also take a proactive approach by conducting inspections to identify priority pothole areas based on severity, location and traffic volume.
How are potholes prioritized?
Potholes are typically given higher priority on major arterial and collector roads where there’s more traffic and higher speed limits, according to the city. Large, deep potholes are typically repaired before smaller, shallow potholes.
Potholes are also prioritized based on their location along the road. For example, potholes that are in the wheel path will be given higher priority because driver can’t avoid them.
How long does it take the city to repair potholes?
The time it takes city crews to respond and repair potholes is often based on location.
The city aims to inspect potholes in high priority locations within 24 hours and repair them within two days. Lower priority areas have a timeline of five days for inspection and a month for pothole repairs to be complete.
The goal for potholes in alleys is to inspect them within two weeks and repair them within a year.
Last year, the city made more than 720,000 pothole repairs and Zerebeski said the city is on track to repair about the same number this year. Last year, the city’s budget was $10.3 million for pothole repair and asphalt maintenance.
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