Melting pattern exacerbates potholes

    When you're bouncing down the road swerving around the dips and drops on the streets of Drumheller, rest assured you’re not alone, and the Town of Drumheller is being proactive in repairing the potholes.     Keith Russell, Operations Manger for the Town of Drumheller, explains it is a particularly bad year for potholes. This is based on the high amount of moisture the valley has received this winter and the unusual melting pattern. Warm days followed by freezing at nights can go a long way in damaging asphalt. While a gradual meltdown is preferable in many cases, for roads it can wreck havoc.
    He said town crews are responding to residential complaints, as well as going out and fixing the potholes before there are complaints. While the Town of Drumheller is responsible for many of the roads, the major highways through town fall under provincial jurisdiction. He said Ledcor is also being responsive in fixing the road as the potholes develop.
    Fixing potholes does come with some expense. While it would be preferable to patch the holes with hot asphalt, there are not many plants operating this time of year, and they have to bring a cold mixture. Because often the cold mixture is produced in the fall, sometimes the quality can deteriorate. The town is purchasing orders of cold mix from the Edmonton area. This expense is on top of the labour component.
    If drivers want to report a particularly bad pothole they can call the Town of Drumheller at 403-823-6300 or 403-823-1330 to let the town know.