TRURO, N.S. — Motorists should notice a smoother ride to work for the most part as crews patch up the seasonal litany of potholes plaguing Truro streets.
The Town of Truro says 343 large potholes were noted this past week, compared to 390 the previous week, meaning efforts to patch the roads are paying off as winter eases its grip.
“The weather is a little more favourable now and the snowplows are no longer out tearing up the streets anymore,” said town engineer Chuck Roberts.
Arguably, the worst affected areas in Truro are Arthur, Prince and Queen streets and the residential end of Robie Street. Municipal crews complete twice-weekly “road patrols” to track new potholes.
So far, repair crews in these and other areas have been using a mix of recycled hot and cold asphalt to fill potholes.
Town officials expect to step up repair work through April and May once plants being producing asphalt again, giving them a steady supply of hot mix to patch roads.
Andrew MacKinnon, the town’s director of public works, said his crews are “trying to put up the good fight.”
MacKinnon himself has not fielded any complaints from the public about vehicles sustaining damage brought on by potholes this winter. Town crews mark major potholes and rough patches of road with signs.
“We cannot help what Mother Nature does to our roads,” said MacKinnon.
According to him, the severe winter has also included several cycles of freeze-followed-by-thaw weather, ideal for potholes to form.
Potholes come about when water freezes and expands in cracks on the road. When the ice melts the affected road surface collapses and crumbles into a hole.
