As the last remnants of snow melt away and conditions continue to dry up, Sundre’s operations department is ramping up efforts to repair potholes.
“We had a really tough year on any of our roads that were already stressed,” said Jim Hall, referring to a long, arduous winter that frequently featured freeze-thaw cycles.
Efforts to repair potholes are largely dependent on the weather, although Hall said there are new materials that are supposed to work even in wet conditions, and that he has been investigating such options.
In the meantime, the town crew has been tackling as many potholes as possible, he said.
“We’ll be on potholes all throughout the summer as they come up. We’re aware of where they all are,” he said.
However, he added that with limited manpower and resources, such repairs have to be scheduled in with other important ongoing basic road maintenance duties, such as street sweeping.
“You’ll see the sweeper out all summer,” he said.
In the coming weeks, residents can also anticipate seeing work begin on Main Avenue to complete the new line markings that could not be completed last fall because of the weather.
Hall said last week that he urged the engineer who was scheduling the painting to have the work completed before the May long weekend ahead of the first major rush of people headed out to camp in the West Country.
Kirk Kwan, Alberta Transportation project engineer, said efforts are underway to coordinate the work adding that as of last week no timeline was in place.
"But it is being worked on," he said.
Kwan said he is also pushing to have the work finished before the busy May long weekend.
"Can’t promise anything but that’s what we’re working on."
