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Rough spring: 10,000 potholes filled in first two months of the year, 10,000 more expected in March

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It’s been a rough spring for Edmontonians — but it’s about to get rougher for drivers increasingly trying to dodge potholes on city streets.

City workers have filled some 10,000 potholes over the past two months and another 10,000 are expected to be plugged in March.

In 2018, the city filled a total of 424,000 holes, ranging in size from a plate to a tire.

Residents can report potholes to the city through the 311 app or by calling 311. Once a complaint is reported, residents can track it through the city’s open data portal.

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“It is too early in the year to predict if this year we would be getting more pothole notifications than in previous years,” said city’s traffic operations spokeswoman Catherine Kuehne.

If a vehicle is damaged by hitting a pothole, the owner can file a claim against the city within 30 days of the damages occurring. Over the past nine years, an average of 633 pothole claims per year have been filed. Over that time, the city approved 16.1 per cent of claims, leading to drivers receiving an average of $735 per claim.

City crews work year-round to repair potholes, using different methods depending on the season.

“We use a grind and overlay method in the summer that extends the life cycle of a residential, collector or arterial road,” said Kuehne.

Potholes are generally cleaned by removing debris from the area and filling the hole with tar and asphalt. The asphalt is then levelled using a roller machine.

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