Beware things that go bump on the road

Vancouver expects to fill tens of thousands of potholes in 2018

Flowers are one sign spring is on the way, but so is the sight of City of Vancouver crews performing the monumental task of filling the thousands of potholes that appeared in city streets over the winter.

Potholes form during periods of freezing and thawing. Water gets into cracks in asphalt, seeps in between layers and into the ground underneath and then freezes, causing larger cracks. When the ice thaws and cars drive over the weak spot on the road, the asphalt collapses and leaves a hole.

Read on for some statistics about Vancouver potholes:

46,000

Vancouver expects to repair about 46,000 potholes throughout the city this year. The number of potholes repaired each year depends on the severity of the winter. Because the winter of 2017-18 was relatively mild, there are fewer repairs to be made than last year.

1,445

Vancouver maintains 1,445 kilometres of roads and bridges in the city, which crews routinely monitor to identify areas that need to be repaired. The city also receives reports from residents who spot potholes. People can advise the city of potholes by calling 311, using the VanConnect app, visiting the city website or tweeting.

2017

Last year was a bad one for potholes in Vancouver — worse than the previous five years. The city did 60,782 pothole repairs in 2017 at a cost of $720,271. That’s almost twice as many as the previous year, which saw 34,121 pothole repairs costing $450,598. Between 2012 and 2017, the city repaired more than 224,000 potholes. The average number of potholes repaired annually is 32,000.

$12.50$13.50

The average cost to repair a pothole is between $12.50 and $13.50. According to the city, “repairing potholes is an affordable way to keep roads in safe condition until major repairs and repaving is required.”

48

It takes less than 48 hours for city crews to make permanent pothole repairs. Holes in high-traffic areas, like the Oak Street Bridge, are prioritized, along with those likely to cause vehicle damage or injury. Crews are available around the clock in case of emergency.

MARK VAN MANEN/PNG FILES City crews have more than 1,445 kilometres of roads and bridges to maintain and expect to repair about 46,000 potholes this year, which is well below 2017’s total.

JENELLE SCHNEIDER/PNG FILES Crews are available 24 hours a day in case of emergency and require less than 48 hours to permanently fix potholes on city streets.