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'It’s pothole season': Vancouverites report dangerous potholes in city following deep freeze (PHOTOS)

"Can the city fill the huge tire-eating pothole?"
pothole-vancouver-street-january-2022
Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­residents are sharing their grievances with the city for its approach to fixing potholes on streets that have appeared following the deep freeze.

Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­residents are sharing their grievances with the city for its approach to fixing the litany of potholes on streets that have appeared following the deep freeze.

Numerous people have taken to social media to share images of new potholes in high traffic areas as well as to report particularly treacherous ones. Some of them ask when the city plans to fix the hazardous holes, as some of them remain on the road for a longer period of time. 

Stark increase in number of potholes in Vancouver

Amy Sidwell, Manager of Street Operations for the City of Vancouver, told Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ that the recording-breaking cold snap followed by warming temperatures precipitated the rise of potholes and that street operations crews are actively working on repairing them. 

"Potholes are caused by regular freezing and thawing during seasonal changes and usually occur on older road surfaces," she explained. "Residents and businesses that notice areas requiring attention are [encouraged] to contact the City via 3-1-1 or VanConnect."

Crews will follow up and schedule repairs, prioritizing deeper potholes, added Sidwell. Emergency requests are responded to and completed on the same day.

"Keeping our roads in a state of good repair is a priority for the City. Crews and supervisors routinely monitor road conditions and identify areas needing remediation," she said.

While Vancouver's streets and roads are in the jurisdiction of the city and managed and maintained by our Street Operations branch within Engineering Services, bridges and the Stanley Park Causeway are managed by the B.C. Ministry of Transportation. Locals are advised to directly report the potholes in this area to Miller Capilano by calling 1.866.918.1010 ext 1.

 In 2021, the city responded to 3163 pothole service requests. This year, to date, it has responded to 197 pothole service requests.