From Jacklin Road in Langford to Shelbourne Street in Saanich, drivers in greater Victoria spent their commute today navigating through a pothole minefield.
“We got a bit of that freeze-thaw happening,” said David Sparanese, public works senior manager for the District of Saanich. “Cycling with the heavy vehicles, trucks and cars going over them, and it’s just the perfect recipe to create potholes out there right now.”
With the recent snow and rising temperatures, potholes are popping and popping tires throughout the Island.
“To my surprise, when I got out of my car not only the front tire but also the back tire had also popped,” said Brynn Little via Zoom from her home in Cobble Hill.
Little says she nearly lost control after hitting a pothole while driving northbound on the Malahat Highway.
“Definitely was alarming when I felt like I was kind of having to use a lot of strength to stay straight and not veer off,” said Little, adding the pothole was located near the Malahat Skywalk exit and the incident occurred Monday afternoon.
CHEK News also received multiple tips about a large pothole just south of Lantzville on Hwy. 19 near Ware Rd.
“I’m going to need two new tires and two new rims on the right side,” Megan Kelly told CHEK News via email. “My suspension and exhaust are also messed up.”
Mainroad Mid-Island Contracting said in a release today that crews will be fixing potholes in the area starting 8 p.m. tonight until 4 a.m.
Mainroad Mid-Island Contracting did not confirm whether it was the same pothole that caused damage to Kelly’s vehicle.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transportation tweeted out that crews are working on filling potholes from Mill Bay to Duncan.
“A pothole that’s in the travel path of a main highway gets priority over those on the shoulder or on a low volume road,” via article published on Transportation BC website. “The size of the hole also plays a factor, with larger ones having priority over smaller ones.”
The article also explains that it’s more difficult to fill potholes in cold, wet weather due to “the patching material not bonding well to the road,” according to the website.
In dry, warmer conditions, Sparanese says potholes can be filled in at little as “15-20 minutes.”
But if temperatures dip again, expect a bumpy road ahead. The good news? Most insurance covers pothole damage.
Kevin Charach
