Kitchener working on solutions to pothole problem

Many Kitchener roadways are in poor condition after a long and cold winter, and with thawing in the forecast, city crews are working to try to keep up with deteriorating conditions.

In Kitchener, staff are responsible for maintaining the condition of city-owned streets and regional roads.

Staff and council have received a long list of complaints from residents over the past month, and are working to understand the pothole problem as a whole in order to find a solution.

One of the difficulties in repairing the roads at this time of year is the change in seasons.

“At this time of the year, it’s particularly challenging because we can’t do permanent repairs on the road,” Denise McGoldrick, general manager Infrastructure Services for the City of Kitchener, said. The hot asphalt plants are not open yet, it’s still too cold for that.”

Many of Waterloo Region’s asphalt manufacturers operate from May until December.

Instead, crews have to use cold patches, often in less-than-ideal conditions because the surface is wet, according to McGoldrick. She added that those fixes often last only a few days before additional repair is required.

The City’s manager of Maintenance in the Roads and Traffic Division, Scott Berry, agrees. He was a guest on The Mike Farwell Show and likened the task of filling potholes with cold patch to a game of whack-a-mole.

“We’re back to some of the same locations over and over again within several days or even daily,” he said. “I’m sure some of your listeners will note they see the same potholes in the same locations every few days. That doesn’t mean we’re not there, it means we’re just fighting the physics of potholes.”

Potholes around the horseshoe

Kitchener Ward 8 councillor, Margaret Johnston, raised the issue of potholes at city council this week.

She was also a guest on The Mike Farwell Show and said potholes are a major topic both in the community and the corridors of City Hall.

“All of council are hearing about this from our residents. We are drivers too. We’re pedestrians, we’re drivers. We’re seeing them on the roads as well,” she said. “And, knowing the frustration coming from residents, especially people who have had damage to their vehicles.”

“I have had an inordinate number of claims come my way that are being forwarded to the insurance pool and so on,” Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic said. “Whether we pay one way or the other potentially, I’d rather pay to try and address (potholes) as best as we can.”

City staff acknowledged that funding for the road resurfacing program was “reduced slightly” in the past decade. But Justin Readman, general manager for Development Services, doesn’t believe there is a direct correlation between the funding cuts and the state of Kitchener roads.

However, Vrbanovic isn’t so sure. He said the condition of a roadway heading into winter plays a huge roll in pothole development come spring.

“Pot holes are indicative of the health of the particular road system where you’re seeing their presence,” he said. “Locations where spot repairs are differed for budgetary reasons, are certainly noticeable this time of year.”

Staff are set to include pothole maintenance as part of their wider review of winter maintenance operations, a review which was prompted to improve the city’s response to snow and storms after a challenging season.

Johnston believes that would be the opportunity to look for ways to lessen the number of potholes in coming years.

“I think that’s a great time for council, once we get the data, to have a really fulsome discussion about, ‘Do we need to be doing some things different? Do we need to look at the budgeting differently as well?’ because that’s on us,” she said.

To report a pothole in Kitchener, you can visit the city’s website.

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