It’s that time of year in Guelph, when the snow melts and the potholes are starting to appear.
Terry Dooling, manager of public works, said the city has received 167 service reports since Jan. 1 about filling potholes.
As the snow melts, Dooling said water and salt sinks into the roads and lies underneath the asphalt. Fluctuating temperatures cause the water to expand and contract. Coupled with traffic, this results in potholes.
“We filled 1,447 potholes in 2021 as a part of our annual asphalt program. That amount is from potholes reported by community members and those noted by staff during daily inspections.”
He adds no particular street stands out as having the most reports of potholes, as it is still early in the spring thaw. The city won’t know how many potholes there are until temperatures can stay above freezing levels, which happens between late March and early April.
“The majority of potholes are reported for primary roads which are prone to potholes due to high traffic volumes.”
Meanwhile online, residents in local Facebook groups have already began sharing their gripes over potholes.
“Funny, as an ex Montrealer, was driving in Guelph and laughing with my wife, it reminded of home. Been a tough winter,” said Craig Bremner, a Facebook user and resident, about potholes.
Another resident and Facebook users, Jodi Stuckless, also commented on potholes, focusing on Speedvale Avenue.
“Speedvale is absolutely disgusting!!! More attention needs to be done there. At least the canyon in front of midas was fixed, now for the rest of the street.”
Also available online is a reporting tool on the City of Guelph website for potholes. Dooling said the city responds to these requests within one business day.
“If residents use our online reporting tool, we’ll give them a service request number to track their request so they can see when the work is complete.”
The Municipal Act states if a pothole exceeds a certain depth and surface area listed in the act, then the standard is for a city to fix the pothole in a certain time frame, after it was brought to the city’s attention. This time frame can range from four days to 30 days, depending on the size and depth of the pothole, and the road type.
The City of Guelph website states if the city fails to inspect and maintain roads according to the standards in The Municipal Act, then an independent insurance adjuster will investigate the claim, which may take up to several weeks. If the city agrees to cover the claim, then residents must provide invoices/receipts to support the amount of damage claimed.
When it comes to vehicle damage from potholes, the city paid $6,707.63 in claims in 2021. The most common damage claims by residents are tires, rims and suspension.
Dooling said it is still too early for the city to provide data on damage claims for 2022, but anyone can learn how to submit a claim online here.
