Pothole Maintenance Around Greater Sudbury

For Immediate Release                      
Tuesday, March 24, 2015

The City of Greater Sudbury would like to advise residents that as spring continues the freeze and thaw cycle, potholes will develop across the city at a quicker rate than normal.

Potholes are formed by the expansion and contraction of water that has seeped just below the surface of the road through cracks in the pavement. When water freezes it expands. This causes the pavement to expand, bend or crack weakening the road. When the ice melts the pavement contracts leaving voids in the subsurface where water can get in. If the water freezes and thaws over and over the road can become very weak. Potholes form when the surface of the road collapses into the subsurface void. Sometimes potholes do not appear until the weight of traffic has passed over the weak spot in the road.
  


The City employs private contractors in addition to its own crews to patch potholes year-round. Patching efforts typically ramp-up during the late winter and early spring periods as needed.

The City of Greater Sudbury predominantly utilizes hotmix asphalt patching, coldmix patching or recycled asphalt patching depending on the time of year to repair potholes. Hotmix patching has been the more cost effective form of pothole repair. However, during the winter, local asphalt plants shut down, therefore coldmix patching and recycled asphalt patching is used. Coldmix can be applied directly from a container. It can be applied under all weather conditions, but is susceptible to road bed movement, vehicle traffic and snow removal operations. The City utilizes existing asphalt material (‘millings’) to produce recycled asphalt. ‘Millings’ are heated in a portable asphalt plant and chemically rejuvenated for use in the pothole patching operation. The City experiments with the latest pothole patching technologies in order to improve durability of road repairs.

Motorists can lessen the chances of damage to their vehicles by reducing speed, maintaining optimum tire pressure and by keeping the steering wheel straight and avoiding sudden braking when encountering a pothole. Abiding by the various posted load restriction signs will help preserve pavement condition as well.

 
You can also view a video of the City explaining our pothole process on our youtube page or on our facebook page at www.facebook.com/greatersudbury

For information about how to submit a claim to the City due to damage to your vehicle from a pothole, please visit our website here http://www.greatersudbury.ca/city-hall/report-it/make-a-claim-against-the-city/

Potholes can be reported to the City of Greater Sudbury by dialing 3-1-1.

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