During the freeze-thaw cycles of the shoulder season, potholes may need to be filled multiple times, often within a 24-hour period. As vehicles pass over a pothole that’s been repaired with a temporary fix, the pothole may end up reopening quite quickly, depending on traffic levels—so while you may think a troublesome pothole is never tended to, you might be surprised how often we’ve been there to fix it!

We are currently experimenting with three different types of cold-mix asphalt to find the most cost-effective and longest-lasting product to address potholes during the shoulder seasons until a more permanent fix can be made during the summer months. There are some noteworthy advantages and disadvantages to each product, which we have shared below.

We are continuing to monitor the effectiveness of each product to ensure that our time spent in the field addressing these potholes results in the longest lasting repair possible while still addressing immediate hazards during wet conditions until a more permanent repair can be made.

In Terrace, we can experience freeze/thaw weather patterns for months at a time. Over the past three years (January 2020–February 25, 2022), our crews have:

• Spent $621,029 filling potholes,
• of which $248,194 (or about 40%) was spent on pothole mix,
• and took 5,846 labour hours to complete.

In 2022, from January 1 to February 25, crews have used about 50 tonnes of pothole mix. The infographic below shows the breakdown—you’ll notice that 2021 was an especially bad year for potholes.

Click to view a full-size image!

Please be on alert for potholes during these shoulder seasons and drive safely.

To report a pothole, please reach out to Public Works at 250-615-4021 to ensure we can reply promptly.

For vehicle damage attributed to potholes, please contact your insurance provider.