Pothole related damages down in 2011

BY MARTHA DILLMAN

Fewer damage claims have been filed this year due to potholes, and city crews are spending more time out fixing them.

Tony de Silva, roads operation engineer with the City of Greater Sudbury, said crews have been repairing potholes throughout the winter, but added “it's just getting more intensified now because of the warmer climates.”

Pending the approval of the 2011 budget at the end of the month, this year's winter budget for pothole patching is $388,000.

The winter budget covers work done to repair potholes between January and April and between November and December.

Work done during other times of the year comes out of the summer budget for pothole patching.

De Silva said, so far, the city has spent $206,000 on potholes this year, which is slightly over the expected budget of $158,000.

With the milder weather conditions, crews are focusing on three tasks: pothole patching, winter ditching or cleaning out culverts and storms sewers that are blocked by ice.

“The most important thing is to get the water away from the road and into the storm system and into the river,” he said. “That way there's going to be less chance of potholes being created.”

According to de Silva, fewer potholes are showing up this year compared to previous years.

The fewer number of potholes may be contributing to the lower amount of claims made due to pothole-related damage. De Silva said in 2008, between January and March, 150 claims were made. In 2009, in the same period, 190 claims were made.
In 2010, the number of claims in the same period dropped to 41, and so far this year, three claims have been made to the city to date.

De Silva also said crews are out working 24 hours a day, five days a week.

“(With) the new collective bargaining agreement, we're able to run two shifts.”

However, de Silva acknowledged there are still potholes out there and said the easiest way to report problem areas is to contact the city by phoning 3-1-1.

“What happens is as soon as you call it in, 311 makes an electronic log of the complaint or concern and it directs that concern to a foreman in that particular area,” he said. “That foreman will have to deal with that situation and it will not go away until he deals with it.”