Potholes creating issues for some Calgary drivers, pedestrians

Calgarians are expressing concerns over an increasing number of potholes showing up on city streets during their daily commutes due to warmer temperatures.

As the snow melts and thick ice begins to thaw, several stretches of Calgary roads are getting a lot bumpier as asphalt expands from freeze-thaw cycles and caves in.

Christopher Wedick lives in southwest Calgary near Bow Trail and says the multiple potholes in his neighbourhood are making it difficult to get around.

“As a society, I think we need to rally and keep our politicians accountable and get our infrastructure back on track,” he said.

“We’re a first-world country so let’s act like it.”

Others like Po Leung say the city should respond faster to repair potholes, especially in busier areas, including south Sarcee Trail.

“We need to get these repaired faster,” he said.

“This isn’t good for our cars, it causes dangers in the community and you really have to be cautious when you’re driving.”

Unfortunately, potholes are causing damage to several Calgary cars.

Bret Morley, the manager of Kal Tire near North Hill Shopping Centre, says his team has been busy with repairs.

“We see this at least on a weekly basis at this point, most of the time it’s in the form of a vehicle having to get towed,” he said.

“More minor damages include a tire bulge, a bent rim or something like that, but we see it get severe as bent steering or suspension components or loose components that become disconnected.”

So far, the City of Calgary has completed 1,600 pothole repairs this year, which includes 1,500 that took place in the month of February.

This year, there have also been 885 pothole 311 service requests so far, which is an increase of the 660 requests that came in for the same time period last year.

“Repairing potholes is an important part of maintaining Calgary’s mobility network to keep Calgarians moving safely,” read a statement from the City of Calgary.

“Potholes can develop along streets due to moisture getting through the asphalt surface followed by repeat freeze/thaw cycles and vehicle traffic. The City of Calgary prioritizes pothole repairs based on several factors including safety impacts, severity and location.”

The city notes that high-priority locations are repaired within five business days of inspection, while medium-priority spots, along with alleys and lower-priority roads will have their potholes filled within one to two months of inspection.

In November, city crews kept busy filling nearly 5,000 potholes in that month alone – a new record – thanks to significantly warmer-than-average temperatures.

Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot says this most recent warm up in temperatures provides the city with the perfect opportunity to continue road work at a much faster pace.

“I would encourage citizens to use the 311 app, because not only can you identify a pothole, you can geotag it so the city knows exactly where it is,” Chabot said.

“Also contact your councillor, we’re not trying to encourage more work for the councillors, but there’s some roads that really need a higher level of maintenance. So, when we hear from residents that there are multiple potholes showing up and the city doesn’t have it in their program to service that road, sometimes the squeaky wheel does get the grease and we’ll do everything we can to help.”

Calgarians can report potholes by visiting the City of Calgary’s website.