Crews busy with pothole repairs in Winnipeg

City crews have repaired more than 10,000 potholes in Winnipeg since January 1, 2023. (CTV News File Photo)

City crews have been kept busy dealing with a familiar sight on Winnipeg streets during the spring.

As the snow melt continues, potholes are becoming more visible on various roads in the city, and workers with the city have been out filling them.

According to Ken Allen, communications coordinator with the city’s public works department, 311 has received 646 requests for service related to pothole repairs and crews have repaired over 10,000 potholes citywide between Jan. 1 and March 22. Work has been focused on main and bus routes, as well as collector streets, he said. Allen added locations with very large or deep potholes that pose an imminent safety concern are prioritized.

Weather conditions have also caused some challenges for workers during the repair process.

“The weather this time of year makes the work tricky because we can’t use hot asphalt to make long-lasting repairs, and instead, our crews are making temporary patches using cold mix, an asphalt mix specifically designed for use in cold, wet weather,” Allen said in an emailed statement. “Since this is only a temporary fix, crews may have to return several times to repair the same pothole because of wet road conditions.”

Allen said crews typically switch to the hot asphalt in mid-May, depending on the weather.

“It’s difficult to predict how many potholes we will see on our streets this spring as that all depends on the extent of the freeze/thaw cycles, or temperature swings, we experience as well as how wet the roads get from melting snow,” he said.

Residents concerned about potholes can call 311 to report it or fill out a form online.