City launches pothole reporting tool

The warm weather is starting to wreak havoc on city roads.

The pothole patrol was out in full force on Wednesday, filling in the freeze-thaw damage that’s started leaving gaping craters in the asphalt.

City officials, who on Wednesday launched an online pothole reporting tool to alert crews to problem areas of the city, said the unusual weather has caused a few issues for the roads department as they set out on their annual ritual, albeit a couple of weeks ahead of schedule.

“The majority of the potholes are in the curb and gutter area, like on the outside lanes of four-lane streets, not as many in the middle of the road,” said acting roads manager Brian Kral.

“The moisture is what causes the issues primarily. With the early thaw like we’ve had now, it’s just going to cause more and more grief for potholes.”

The reporting tool which can be found at www.thunderbay.ca/pothole, was created to ensure quick response times, which in turn prevent the potholes from getting worse as cars continuously crash through them.

The tool also allows residents to report raised manhole covers.

Kral said the problem is citywide and the key is to get to them as soon as possible.

“There’s not one area that’s more prone than others,” he said. “However, once a depression starts, because we don’t have a permanent fix at this point in time, it takes maybe one or two times to get the hole filled for good, depending on traffic flow and the weather we’re experiencing and that type of thing.”

Kral said the early start to spring caught the roads department a little off guard and forced it to deal with drainage issues that have also cropped up around Thunder Bay.

Kral added just because the sun is out and the snow has mostly melted doesn’t mean the road crews will start sweeping streets much earlier than usual.

Mother Nature has a way of fighting back, he said.

“We only have limited garage space,” Kral said, “and it involves an equipment changeover and that sort of thing. We’ve experienced it in the past and a turn in the weather can happen at any time.

“Even the other day, a few degrees change in temperature and the rain that we had could have been snow, and a significant amount of it.”

Pothole reporting can also be done the old-fashioned way, by phoning 625-2195 or via email at publicworks@thunderbay.ca.