200 potholes filled by volunteers on Highway 63 in Fort McMurray: organizer

The organizer of a resident-led protest to fill potholes on Highway 63 in Fort McMurray says his group filled 200 potholes. Nahreman Issa has the story.

The organizer of a resident initiative to fill potholes on Highway 63 in Fort McMurray says his group filled 200 potholes on Friday.

Business owner Mohammad Tarrabin says he put out the call for people to come out and patch the potholes after his vehicles were damaged to the tune of $10,000 on the stretch of highway, which is controlled by the province.

He says about 80 people were involved in filling the potholes along a 1.8-kilometre section of the highway.

Tarrabin says he knew the community would come through to get the job done.

“Fort Mac is known for taking care of themselves and I was actually not shocked at all to see that happening,” he told CTV News Edmonton on Monday.

“This shows the will and the power and the love Fort McMurray has.”

He says this is just the latest example of residents coming together to support the community after a snowstorm in April stranded hundreds of motorists on Highway 63.

“We actually were among the first people to reach those people and we helped them out, we brought food, blankets, and water for them,” he said.

RCMP were on scene for Friday’s demonstration and have confirmed to CTV News Edmonton that no charges were laid and none are expected.

Terrabin says the officers helped his group stay safe on the highway.

“I met with them, they asked me for the traffic plan and the safety hazard plan and road plan, and how we’re going to do it. We gave it to them. They were on the scene from 8 a.m.,” he said.

“They were amazing. They were actually an extra help, an extra layer of safety for everyone.”

The province says its contractors have also been working on Highway 63.

“Since April 1, the highway maintenance contractor, Emcon, has completed approximately 120,000 kilograms of pothole repairs within the urban service area,” a spokesperson for Devin Dreeshin, Alberta’s minister of transportation, told CTV News Edmonton.

“A new pothole repair work order was issued on June 4, and crews have already completed approximately 3,450 kilograms of repairs. In addition to immediate maintenance work.”

Tarrabin says he hasn’t seen any other workers filling potholes.

“I’m assuming he sent them the wrong GPS location because they are nowhere to be seen, not a single hole being fixed since Friday,” he said.

And he says his pothole filling days aren’t behind him yet.

“If that road is not fixed by July, you’re going to see me on the highway again.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Nahreman Issa