‘We’re addressing the major routes:’ Crews starting to fill potholes around Regina

For now, it seems like winter in Regina is done for good.

Temperatures are back to feeling more seasonal and nearly all the snow on the ground has melted away.

With the snow gone, it means city crews can now begin filling potholes that have become evident on city streets.

Last week’s winter storm that hit Regina was ideal for creating potholes as a bunch of wet snow melted quickly on the roads, according to Colin Midgley, the city’s manager of roads and maintenance.

“Obviously we had a bit of a storm last week and that didn’t help our situation,” he said. “Potholes form when water gets into the base material with cracks in the surface.

“With the freeze-and-thaw cycle last week, it has contributed to some increased potholes throughout the city. We’re working to get our crews out there to try and address the more dangerous ones as quickly as possible.”

While last week’s storm did create potholes, Midgley notes there aren’t many more potholes than city crews see after a typical winter.

Crews are already out on the roads trying to patch them as quick as possible. Right now, they’re using a cold mix material to deal with filling them in cooler temperatures. When the weather warms up, they’ll be using a warm mix to fill the holes.

Midgley says crews are focusing on the busiest roads right now before shifting their attention to other areas in the city.

“Right now we’re addressing the major routes. Things like Ring Road are going to take priority over some of the side roads,” he added.

According to Midgley, it usually takes crews a week to get to a pothole depending on where it is and the priority. They’ll work through the summer to fill as many as they can.

Unfortunately, with potholes popping up, some vehicles could be damaged by hitting them. People can notify the city about potholes that could cause concern and if a person’s vehicle was damaged by a pothole, they can submit a claim to see if they can be reimbursed.

With the potholes out, however, Midgley hopes people drive with caution to protect themselves.

“There’s potholes throughout the city that we’re aware of and monitoring and trying to address as quickly as possible,” he explained. “Make sure you’re driving appropriately and safely, slowing down where it’s safe to do so, and we ask the public to be patient with what we’re working on.”