Pothole season is in full bloom across Halifax this spring. “We’ve definitely seen more potholes this year in the Halifax region. There’s about one-and-a-half times as many potholes,” says Halifax Regional Municipality public affairs advisor Jake Fulton. “We believe it was a part due to the temperature fluctuations we saw all winter. Way below freezing and then it would go up and melt in the more times that happens, the more water and ice can get under the ground and weaken the roads.” According to Fulton, the municipality has identified about 8,100 potholes and so far, 5,100 of which have been filled. That leaves 3,000 to wreak havoc on vehicles. Trevor Wheatley knows the damage potholes can cause. He replaced expensive rims on the truck he uses for his plumbing business. “Here’s the problem with the hub caps, I can’t just buy one, I have to buy a set of four and they’re about $600 for these stainless-steel wheels on these big trucks,” he says. Fulton says Halifax’s 22 road crew workers are busy. Potholes are put into two categories. “Priority one potholes, those are potholes that are eight cm deep and 25 cm wide or anything bigger than that. Anything smaller than that is a priority two pothole,” says Fulton. Fulton says if a driver has damaged their vehicle on a street, a claim can be submitted by calling 311. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
