Rain making Lower Mainland pothole repairs challenging

You’ve likely hit them, dipped your car into them, or swerved to dodge them. Potholes are becoming a problem around the Lower Mainland now that we’re back to our usual rainfall.

Following the frigid temperatures, ice, and snow melt, the quick transition to a warm-up and rain has left major cracks in major roadways across the region.

Darren Ell with Mainroad Lower Mainroad Contracting says crews are busy. “We’ve been dealing with lots — through the construction zone on Highway 1 between 248th to Glover Road. We’ve got issues through the Massey Tunnel, through Queensborough Bridge — those are our big areas.”

He says crews are trying to get to the problem areas as fast as they can, but admits the weather isn’t helping.

“Ideally, the best pothole repair is when it’s dry. You can put a hot-mix asphalt in, but we have a really good cold-mix asphalt we put out there. We put it in place to get it in there in all types of weather conditions,” he explained.

“The unfortunate part is what you’re tying into around that [pothole] is not always the best either. Some of that other asphalt area may be deteriorating, as well, so that might pop out soon after we put in that asphalt patch.”

Ell admits depending on the location, crews are going back to the same sites repeatedly in one day.

“We’re playing whack-a-mole. We can go out to areas multiple times in a day, because either the pothole is not conducive to the patch material or there are other areas that are popping up right next to it. That’s just the unfortunate part of it.”

Ell says until things dry out and everything is repaired, drivers need to slow down and exercise caution.

“If you’re watching the road surface, a lot of times in construction zones, you see some deteriorating asphalt. If you see a build-up of debris that’s piling up against the shoulder or onto the concrete barrier, there’s usually something that’s causing it, and a lot of times it’s a pothole.

“Be aware of your surroundings. Be aware of the road surface. Watch for ponding, a lot of times there is water ponding in these potholes.”

-With files from Cole Schisler