Drivers in Lethbridge, Alta., can expect plenty of maintenance on the city’s roads in the coming months, including street sweeping and pothole repair.
Street sweepers are expected to begin work in the city’s south end on Tuesday, before moving to the west side and finishing in the north.
No-parking signs will be placed along streets 24 hours ahead of sweeping, with fines possible for vehicles that aren’t moved.
“We will have to maneuver our sweepers around those cars otherwise and we are not planning to come back,” said Juliane Ruck, City of Lethbridge transportation operations manager.
“It really helps to make the neighbourhoods beautiful if the cars are removed and we can do a good job.”
Weather depending, sweeping is expected to be finished by the end of June.
“Street sweeping is very important, especially in the spring because there’s lots of debris on the roads that gets washed by the spring rains into the storm sewers, so we want to prevent that contamination of the water,” Ruck said.
“Also for all users of our road system, especially bikes and motorbikes, you want a clean surface and good driving conditions.”
Residents can check the street sweeping schedule on the city’s website or the Lethbridge Loop app.
Patching crews are another sight that will be more common in the weeks ahead.
According to Ruck, there are more potholes this spring compared to 2022.
“This winter was very challenging with these freeze-thaw temperature changes and lots of moisture, last winter we didn’t see that,” Ruck said.
“Because we didn’t have as much ice on the road either last winter, we were able to fix already during the winter.”
Day crews started filling potholes this week. A night shift will start working on major traffic routes this Sunday.
They’ll move to residential streets in about five to six weeks.
Drivers are asked to report potholes to 311.
“If it’s in the wheel path on the major road and can cause damage to a vehicle, we want to know about it right away,” Ruck said. “We categorize it differently and then we send crews out within 48 hours.”
At this time of year, auto repair professionals see plenty of damage caused by potholes.
“We see a lot of front-end components, ball joints, tie-rods, as well as wheels. The rims themselves can bend or the tire can puncture on the low-profile tires,” said Alan Marsh, owner and manager of Fountain Tire.
“Lots of people come in with damaged tires. Then once we get it up and get it looked at, there’s loose components in the front end.”
“They’re wear and tear items anyways, but the potholes speed it up.”
For anyone who does take a big hit, Marsh recommends getting their vehicle assessed.
“Your alignment can be thrown out, so your steering wheel might be off or your vehicle could drift from one side or the other,” Marsh said.
Drivers who do sustain pothole damage can call 311 to enter a claim, which will be investigated by the city.
The city is reminding drivers to be aware of crews working on roads.
“Slow down, be careful and follow the direction we give,” Ruck said.
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