Warm January weather can take some of the blame for the number of potholes popping up on Saskatoon streets, the city says.
“There was a lot of melt runoff at that time,” Pat Hyde, the city’s public works director, said of Saskatoon’s warm January. “Water can permeate and get into the asphalt, and then when it freezes again… and thaws out again… that can cause problems, no question.”
Potholes reared their head as snow began to melt this week. City crews are out using cold mix to fix priority streets. The cold mix is a temporary fix until warm asphalt mix is available later this spring, according to the city.
For some drivers, the bumpy roads are just a pain. For others, they’re a real hazard.
Shayla Hamm replaced all four tires on her vehicle this winter after hitting four different potholes.
“I was just driving around the city to job sites, because I’m a construction worker. I had lots of troubles. I replaced my car because of it,” she said.
The city saw 488 claims filed against it last year because of pothole, sinkhole and utility cut damage. They’ve paid out $83,000 to 129 of those claims so far.
The Saskatoon police warned motorists to also watch for puddles.
“Under the traffic bylaw 7200 in Saskatoon, section 26, it’s against the bylaw to intentionally splash a pedestrian on the sidewalk,” said Const. Bill Bergeron.
Police have only issued four tickets in the last two years, but officers do ask that drivers and pedestrians be careful and courteous while the wet weather lingers.
