It’s that time of year when potholes begin to appear, as frost develops and the snow begins to melt. Residents are cautioned to be careful when driving through puddles because they can often hide potholes.
There are several causes of pothole formation, specific to winter. Water can freeze within the cracks and then forcefully push out the asphalt (or previously placed Cold Mix Patching). When milder weather presents itself, the frozen water inside the pavement will melt. Once the water melts, there is nothing of substance left to fill the void left by the previously displaced asphalt / Cold Mix Patching, thus creating the presence of a pothole.
The Town maintains approximately 530 lane kilometres of road, and crews regularly patrol streets to identify potholes and other road deficiencies; but potholes can develop daily when temperatures begin to hover around zero degrees. Please be advised the Town does not repair potholes in driveways and private parking lots.
What We’re Doing
Since early March, crews have begun their pothole patching program. Staff are continually monitoring and identifying areas for (pothole) repair. If you become aware of an area that requires attention and would like to contact our Infrastructure Department directly, please do so by calling 705-687-3412 Ext. 256 to leave a message or take advantage of our online “Report Form” by visiting our www.gravenhurst.ca/reportit.
Maintenance Standards
All roads within the municipality are required to be maintained in accordance with the Provincial Minimum Maintenance Standards. These Standards set out the maximum size (area) and depth that a pothole can be before a repair is required. It also sets out the amount of time that is allowed to pass before the repair must be completed, which varies based on the amount of traffic that occurs on that particular road. The standard ranges from four days for heavily travelled roads to 30 days for roads with lesser amounts of traffic.
