Road crews begin winter pothole repairs
Winter is winding down and regional roads are showing wear and tear from the ice and snow.
Pothole repairs have already started in Waterloo.
During cold weather crews use a cold mix, a temporary fix before they do a more thorough repair with hot asphalt.
On Friday, crews out were out on Lee Avenue and they’re expected to continue that work around the city for the next several weeks.
Unlike past winters where the region went through wild temperature swings, this season was more moderate.
“If you get a freeze-thaw, you get water under the pavement,” Bob Henderson, Waterloo’s manager of transportation, explained. “If you get a freeze again it can pop the pavement out of the road.”
Henderson said local roads held up fairly well this winter and there are fewer pothole complaints.
“We are in a good spot but we will continue to monitor our roads for potholes and we’ll repair them as need be,” he added. “We’ve come out of this winter relatively unscathed in terms of damage to our roadways.”
Columbia Auto Service in Waterloo has already seen a few vehicles needing pothole-related repairs.
“Every time you hit a pothole the force goes directly up,” said owner Jim Voight. “It can damage the tires, rims, suspensions, other steering components. They take a large shock when they hit a large pothole.”
The damage can really add up.
“The cost of repairing could be $2,000-$3,000 depending on the model of car,” Voight said.
Newer cars are often sold with a thinner tire, he explains, making it easier to damage the wheel.
“If the pothole [is] big enough [it] will compress the tire and cause the rim to be damaged and ruin the tire.”
Residents who want to report a pothole are advised to use the city’s online reporting system.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
Houston braces for flooding to worsen in wake of storms
High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing hundreds of people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
‘We made them safer and more fun’: Here’s what’s new about e-scooters
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Canadian Auger-Aliassime reaches first Masters final in Madrid with another walkover
Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime has advanced to his first ATP Masters final, and he hasn't had to play all that much tennis to do it.