Mild temperatures could result in an ‘early start to pothole season,’ says Windsor’s executive director of operations

Windsor warns to watch for potholes as the weather thaws.

The City of Windsor’s executive director of operations says the mild weather might be an early start to the pothole season.

Stacey McGuire says it really depends on what happens over the next little bit, but because we had a deep freeze for so long, it causes the water to get into the cracks in roads and then it freezes and expands.

McGuire says that puts a lot of pressure on the roadway, and when it begins to melt, it relieves that pressure, which is what releases the chunks of asphalt and creates the potholes.

“We have a person that’s designated to drive different areas of the city every day to try to generate a list of where those potholes are, and then that list is provided to our staff, and they go out to patch those potholes,” she says. “Another big source for us is 311 calls and complaints. Those are hugely helpful for us because when you log the potholes in 311, they go to our staff and get added to their list.”

For the past several weeks, the area has experienced sub-freezing temperatures as low as -20°C, but the forecast is calling for above-freezing temperatures as high as 7°C over the next week, creating conditions for a freeze-thaw cycle.

McGuire says drivers need to be aware and be alert.

“As we’re seeing the snow melt too, we’re going to see some potential for some puddles on the roadways and always be cautious because there could be a pothole underneath that puddle,” she says. “If you’re able to report those potholes to 311, obviously not while you’re driving but when it’s safe to do so, that helps us get ahead of those potholes, and we don’t have to wait until we find them.”

McGuire adds that older roads and some of the arterial and collector roads that receive heavy traffic, such as Huron Church Road, tend to have more pothole issues.

She says they used to have a lot of issues on Lauzon Parkway and Banwell Road between the E.C. Row Expressway and Tecumseh Road, places with heavy truck and commuter traffic, but recent investments to improve those routes have resulted in the elimination of pothole problems they used to see.

The public is reminded to report issues online through 311online.ca. A direct link for pothole issues is here.