Watch out drivers, it’s pothole season in Prince George.
Winter is slowly releasing its grip and under all that snow and ice are deep holes that can cause serious damage to vehicles.
City road maintenance crews are getting ready to ramp up their pothole patrols and while they have no trouble finding the most obvious craters that create traffic hazards they do rely on tips from passing motorists who have had to swerve around them in their travels.
To report a pothole call the city’s service centre at 250-561-7600 or on your cell phone call 311. You can also download the cityofpg mobile app to submit a service request.
The city fleet has two pothole patching trucks dedicated to fixing small areas on roadways and will begin starting to mix recycled asphalt to create patching material in anticipation of the asphalt plants opening in late April or early May. The recycled mix offers a longer-lasting patching material during the shoulder season until those plants open.
At any one time, the city will have three pothole repair crews dispatched throughout the week, working either days, afternoons or night shifts. Each crew has two or there staff and traffic control workers.
Last year, city crews filled 5,057 potholes using cold-patch material. Including hot-patch fixes the total was about 7,500.
If you do hit one and sustain damage to your vehicle, only on rare occasions will the city be held responsible. The most common claims paid out to motorists are for construction work that damaged road surfaces and was not repaired in a reasonable time frame.
